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?
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