Nurse Practitioner - General Information

NP specialties include family practice, women’s health, pediatrics, geriatrics, neonatology, school health, emergency, oncology, critical care, and primary care. Some NPs work in clinics without physician supervision, and others work together with physicians as a joint healthcare team. Their scope of practice and authority depends on state laws. For example, some states allow the NP to write prescriptions, while other states do not.

Like many other professions, the NP is regulated at two different levels. Licensure is a process that takes place at the state level in accordance with specific state laws. In contrast, certification is established through national organizations with requirements for minimal professional practice standards being consistent across all states.