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Adult Nurse Practitioner - Career Profile |
Career OverviewAdult nurse practitioners work in a wide variety of environments. Many work in hospitals, in long-term care facilities, and in doctor's officers. An adult nurse practitioner is an advanced practice nurse who is an expert in the diagnosis and treatment of illness. Those who specialize in the care of adults see a range of diseases and injuries. They use theory and research to guide and improve nursing care of adults and provide care to complex patients.
Adult nurse practitioners focus on the promoting the health of and preventing disease amongst people in early adulthood, continuing on into the latest stages of life. Due to the nature of the specialty, adult nurse practitioners are trained to diagnose and develop treatment plans for acute and chronic diseases that affect adults. These include conditions from heart attacks and sore throats, to arthritis and cancer.
As they have the training to apply nursing theory and research as educators, adult nurse practitioners also function as leaders within the medical community, training nursing practitioners, nursing assistants, and other members of the medical community to work with adult patients.
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Career RequirementsAdult care nurse practitioners are trained nurse practitioners. They therefore are required to have some degree of advanced training in the nursing field. Adult care practitioners are required to have an active RN license and typically have a Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing to have obtained this qualification.
Specialist training in adult care is a requirement for this profession, typically met by the practical experience of each candidate. Most adult care practitioners complete rotations in adult care, including areas of emergency medicine, general practice, surgery, and rehabilitation.
American Academy of Nurse Practitioners
P.O. Box 12846,
Austin, TX 78711
www.aanp.org
American Nurses Credentialing Center
600 Maryland Ave., SW, Suite 100 West
Washington, D.C. 20024-2571
(800) 284-2378
American Nurses' Association
8518 Georgia Ave.,
Ste. 400,
Silver Spring, MD 20910
www.nursingworld.org
The National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties,
National Directory of Nurse Practitioner Programs
1522 K St. NW, Ste. 702,
Washington, DC 20005
www.nonpf.com
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Job OutlookAdult care nurse practitioners serve a number of roles in the medical community and look set to continue to do so, if only because of the sheer range of functions that they are trained to perform.
Adult care nurse practitioners who specialize in adult care can serve as practical nurses, but they may also work in administrative positions.
There are plenty of opportunities to work in different environments and the current nurse shortage in the United States determines that adult care nurse practitioners are likely to be in demand for some time.
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Career TrackSee Nurse Practitioner
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CompensationSee Nurse Practitioner
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