What is a Nurse Practitioner?

When coming in and expecting to be seen with your Primary Care Physician sometimes you are instead seen by a Nurse Practitioner (NP). Some questions may arise. What does he/she do? How much education has he/she had? Is he/she capable of taking good care of me or my family member?

Nurse Practitioners need to be Registered Nurses as well, they need to have their Master’s degree in Nursing, and pass a professional certification in order to care for you or your family member. Many specialize specifically in caring for the elderly as I do. We can care for you or your family member by seeing you in the office with a compassionate attitude while assessing and diagnosing you or your loved one with many acute or chronic illnesses. NPs can also write prescriptions.  We have a collaborating physician we work directly with to ask any questions needed along the way.  Though NPs are not physicians we do undergo demanding training, licensures and credentialing. Nurse Practitioners are trained to also focus on the well-being of the whole person. They can also help with the primary care shortage and high healthcare costs.

At PACE we work side by side with your Primary Care physician to offer you well rounded care. My hope is that this has opened your eyes to the world of Nurse Practitioners. We will be honored to care for you or your loved one.

Christina M. Bertoli
Nurse Practitioner at Element Care