Laredo Advanced Practice Nurses Association
marks Nurse Practitioner Week Nov. 4 - 8

The Laredo Advanced Practice Nurses Association, an organization of nurse practitioners, will celebrate Nurse Practitioner Week from November 4 through 8.
Though there are 82,000 nurse practitioners in the United States and 4,500 practicing in Texas, they remain a little known entity. In Laredo there are approximately 25 or 30 nurse practitioners with more coming each year as programs produce new graduates.
A nurse practitioner is a registered nurse (RN) who has advanced education and clinical training in a health care specialty area. Most states and certifying boards are now requiring a minimum master's level education for licensure as an NP. There are several Women's Health Care nurse practitioners (WHCNP)s working with obstetrician-gynecologists here in Laredo. A PNP is one who specializes in pediatric care; FNPs specialize in care of the family; ANPs care for adult patients only; and GNPs care for geriatric populations.
In Laredo, NPs work with individual family practice physicians in their offices. Many work in ambulatory care settings like Gateway and Doctors Hospital Health Center. Some work in hospital settings, either on the inpatient units or in areas like the emergency room. Some of the NPs in Laredo work alone with the ability to contact their physician collaborator as necessary.
nurse practitioners, as well as other Advanced Practice Nurses such as Clinical Nurse Specialists and Certified Nurse Midwives, practice under the rules and regulations of the Nurse Practice Act of the state in which they work. In Texas, an NP is required to have a practice agreement with a physician with whom she/he may consult. If the NP works in a site away from where the physician works, she/he has chart review with the physician once every 10 business days, according to the law. Nurse practitioners in Texas prescribe medications, although they may not prescribe controlled substances without physician consultation at this point in time; in most other states, NPs prescribe all the same medications that physicians do.
Texas NPs must also be nationally board certified in their specialty area and acquire continuing education credits in order to practice. There are many states in which physician collaboration is not required and NPs practice completely independently. A nurse practitioner is legally able to "hang out her/his own shingle," and many have done so in other parts of the state and country.
Research studies since 1965 have documented that nurse practitioners provide:
o high quality care
o cost-effective care
o a unique approach to health care
o care that results in a high level of patient satisfaction
An article in the Journal of the American Medical Association, Jan. 5, 2000, states "several studies conducted during the last two decades suggest the quality of primary care delivered by nurse practitioners is equal to that of physicians."
Nurse practitioners serve as the regular health care provider for children and adults during health and illness. In order to provide complete health care, nurse practitioners:
o obtain medical histories and perform physical examinations
o diagnose and treat acute health problems such as infections and injuries
o diagnose, treat, and monitor chronic diseases such as diabetes and high blood pressure
o order, perform, and interpret diagnostic studies, such as lab work and x-rays
o prescribe medications and other treatments
o provide prenatal care and family planning services
o provide well-child care, including screening and immunization
o provide health maintenance care for adults, including annual physicals
o promote positive health behaviors and self-care skills through education and counseling
o collaborate with physicians and other health care professionals as needed
So what is the difference between nurse practitioners and physicians? Physicians have a much broader backgrounds in the physical sciences, while nurse practitioners study the physical sciences and emphasize the social sciences as well. Nursing philosophy makes listening, prevention, and education the priorities for each routine visit.
For further information on the Laredo Advanced Practice Nurses Association and their upcoming commemoration, please call Norma Hannigan at 717-1121.