What is a nurse practitioner and physician assistant?

What is a nurse practitioner and physician assistant?

Nurse practitioners and physician assistants are all known as Advanced Practice Providers (APPs). They are health care professionals who practice medicine and are essential members of the Prevea family and your care team. APPs are health care professionals with advanced education and training to provide you with high quality comprehensive care.

At some point, it is very likely that you will interact with a nurse practitioner or physician assistant who can:

• Obtain medical histories
• Perform physical examinations
• Diagnose and treat acute illnesses
• Diagnose and manage chronic diseases, such as diabetes and high blood pressure
• Order and interpret diagnostic tests, such as lab work and X-rays
• Prescribe medications and other therapies/treatment
• Provide prenatal care and family planning services
• Provide well-child care, including screenings and immunizations
• Perform procedures such as suturing and casting
• Assist in surgery
• Administer injections

Nurse Practitioner:

Nurse practitioners are registered nurses with a master’s (NP) or doctorate (DNP) degree and advanced clinical training beyond their initial registered nurse preparation. Nurse practitioners provide high quality services in primary, acute, and specialty areas by combining nursing and medical care. Nurse practitioners focus on managing health conditions and disease prevention through use of evidence-based medicine and patient education to deliver individualized care. Nurse practitioners are certified, participate in continuing education, and practice according to state regulations to provide the best care possible.

Physician Assistant:

Physician assistants (PA) are medical professionals who have thousands of hours of medical training. This allows them to diagnose illness, develop and manage treatment plans, prescribe medications, and often serve as a patient’s principal health care provider or work in a strong collaborative role with the physician. Physician assistants practice in every state and in every medical setting and specialty, improving healthcare access and quality. Physician assistants are certified, participate in continuing education, and practice according to state regulations to provide the best care possible.