Celebrating Nurse Practitioner Week: Nov. 7-13
Every day, nurse practitioners (NPs) work hard to diagnose, treat, and cure thousands of patients throughout the world. In the second week of November, Nurse Practitioner Week honors the contributions that nurse practitioners bring to the medical field.
Many NPs are still restricted from practicing to their full ability, so Nurse Practitioner Week serves as an opportunity to encourage legislators to remove barriers so that they can utilize the full extent of their education and experience.
Nurse Practitioner Week
History
Nurse Practitioner Week was founded in 2014 by the American Association of Nurse Practitioners to acknowledge NPs for their irreplaceable work in the healthcare community. The number of NPs has been steadily growing throughout the past few decades, and they’re a fundamental part of healthcare systems.
When the COVID-19 global pandemic hit in the Spring 2020, NPs stepped into a key role in caring for patients, proving themselves to be more vital than ever before. During and throughout COVID-19, NPs have been at the forefront of care, doing their part to fight the virus by diagnosing symptoms, administering vaccinations and providing quality care.
Role of Nurse Practitioners
Nurse practitioners provide a wide variety of healthcare services including diagnostic tests such as lab work and X-rays. They diagnose and treat both chronic and acute conditions, whether they’re injuries, high blood pressure, or diabetes. NPs can also prescribe medication and provide overall care for patients.
The work of nurse practitioners also includes healthcare counseling as well as general education for patients on lifestyle choices and disease prevention.
NPs seek to provide a holistic approach to healthcare. They don’t just diagnose and treat; they also guide patients, helping them make better decisions that will improve their overall health in the long run.
Providing Accessible and Quality Healthcare
More than 300,000 NPs practice in the U.S. and that number is steadily growing. NPs are visited more than a billion times annually. It’s clear that the NPs are making many positive changes to healthcare.
Healthcare is expensive—most people spend thousands of dollars on it every year. As a result, lower-income families may not have the resources to get the healthcare they need. Since nurse practitioners provide more affordable options, they help make healthcare more accessible to everyone. Although NPs charge less than doctors, they are educated and qualified to provide the same level of healthcare that physicians provide for common healthcare issues.
The approach NPs take to healthcare focuses on the entire well-being of the patients in their care. As a result, they place greater emphasis on educating and guiding patients, helping them make choices with healthcare in mind. Making these lifestyle changes can have a huge impact for patients.
The pandemic brought many hardships to everyone. More than ever, affordable and quality healthcare are essential for the health of communities throughout the world. Thousands of NPs are answering that call each and every day.
NOW Insurance Supports Nurse Practitioners
Nurse practitioners have enough to worry about, finding insurance shouldn’t be hard. At NOW Insurance we’ve simplified the process for securing quality insurance tailored to each practitioner. We provide policies to nurses and nurse practitioners that are simple, fast and affordable. Get a quote today in under 3 minutes from our online application.
Learn more about insurance for nurses and nurse practitioners and other types of healthcare professionals.
