Nurse Practitioner 101

Contributions by: Ashton Thornton, RN, BScN

To continue from our last blog post, which gave a 101 breakdown of the pediatrician’s role, today we will focus on Nurse Practitioners (NPs). Let’s get started!

What is a Nurse Practitioner?

Nurse Practitioners have the same qualifications as Registered Nurses (RNs) but with an additional 2 years of education and training to obtain their specialty Master’s degree and Nurse Practitioner credentials.

What is the difference between a Registered Nurse (RN) and a Nurse Practitioner (NP)

The main difference between Registered Nurses and Nurse Practitioners is that they can diagnose, order diagnostic testing, prescribe medication, and make specialized referrals which an RN is not able to do officially.

In many ways, NPs have a similar scope of practice as family doctors. So, pediatric NPs have a similar scope of practice to pediatricians.

Can Nurse Practitioners (NP) specialize?

Yes! Graduate Nurse Practitioner programs allow clinicians to specialize in pediatrics, gerontology, acute care, oncology or psychology.

With the ongoing shortage of family doctors in Canada, how can parents ensure that children receive the best care possible?

KixCare has you covered!

Sign up for a Kix360° membership to gain unlimited access to specialized pediatric care! No matter how big or small your concern is, our expert team of pediatric healthcare professionals is here to address all your child-related queries.

As parents, we understand the importance of finding helpful advice FAST. Contact us via video calling and messaging to receive support for any urgent care or wellness issues. We are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Try our service today at https://kixcare.com/solution/kix-360!