What Is A Nurse Practitioner?

A nurse practitioner (NP) is a clinician licensed to practice medicine with physician oversight. Nurse practitioners can specialize in different areas of practice; one area is Family Nurse Practitioner.

Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) is an advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) who focuses on medical care for individuals and families across all ages, diseases, and body systems. FNPs are highly trained, typically holding a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) or a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP). Their nursing training emphasizes a holistic approach, focusing on education, prevention, and building relationships. They are required to get ongoing education to maintain their licenses.

What is the difference between a FNP and a physician?

Family Nurse Practitioners (FNPs) and physicians both provide valuable medical services, but there are some key differences between them related to education, training, and scope of practice:

Education and Training:

• FNP Education: FNPs typically hold a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) before completing a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) or a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) with a focus on family medicine. Their nursing training emphasizes a holistic nursing approach, focusing on education, prevention, and building relationships

• Physician Education: Physicians complete a bachelor's degree followed by medical school to earn an MD (Doctor of Medicine) or DO (Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine). After medical school, they undergo residency training in a specialized area of medicine such as family medicine. Their training is more extensive and emphasizes diagnosis and treatment, including of complex conditions

   

Scope of Practice:

• FNPs: They provide a wide range of services, mainly focusing on uncomplicated illness and disease, as well as preventive care. Their scope can vary based on state regulations.  In Texas, physician oversight is required

• Physicians: They have broad and nearly unlimited scope of practice, which includes managing complex medical cases and performing procedures

Some of the things FNPs can evaluate and manage are:

• Diagnosing and Treating Acute Illnesses and Injuries, including respiratory infections, urinary infections, skin infections, lacerations, sprains, fractures, etc.

• Managing Chronic Conditions, including uncomplicated long-term conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, and asthma, hypothyroidism, migraine headaches, mental health dieases, women's health issues, etc. 

• Conducting Exams and Screenings, including routine check-ups, physical exams, and wellness visits for children and adults

Which medical problem cannot be treated by a FNP?

In general, Family Nurse Practitioners (FNPs) do not manage complex or rare medical problems. While the exact scope can vary based on state regulations and the specific training and experience of the FNP, here are some examples of things FNPs generally do not manage in our clinic:

• Patients with multiple medical conditions

• Severe, rare or complex chronic diseases such as Alzheimer's Dementia, Parkinson Disease, chronic pain, uncontrolled or difficult-to-control conditions, liver cirrhosis, premature babies, autism, etc.

• Complex psychiatric disorders such as bipolar, schizophrenia or other complex conditions

FNPs prescribe controlled substances (narcotics and others) on a very limited basis, but in a clinic like ours, they do not ever prescribe schedule II drugs (Vicodin, Methadone, Adderall, Concerta, Vyvanse, Focalin, etc.)

To help ensure the best medical care, FNPs work with physician supervision. In our clinic, the supervising physician must always be available for consultation and must conduct regular chart reviews. FNPs provide care in a way that is consistent with the direction of the supervising physician.

FNPs allow for better availability for patients, improving the level of care. Cost of visits with an FNP can be lower, also making it easier to get seen.