The modern healthcare system consists of various medical health professionals. Whether doctors, specialists, technicians, or medical assistants, each of them play a vital role in the delivery of healthcare services to those in need.
Vital contributors to the overall healthcare system are the nurse practitioners, who essentially perform crucial tasks in providing care to many patients. They are also needed now more than ever due to the COVID-19 outbreak, as they work hard to address the most pressing healthcare issues today.
The vital roles of nurse practitioners
As per the MGH Institute of Health Professions, a nurse practitioner is a registered nurse with advanced academic and clinical experience.
The institute underscores the fact that nurse practitioners can diagnose and treat the most common and chronic illnesses by working directly with patients. They are also authorized to perform physical examinations, order and interpret diagnostic tests, provide counseling and education, and write prescriptions.
It goes without saying that nurse practitioners can carry out many tasks that have long been attributed to doctors.
The massive shortage of registered nurses
According to Clinician Today, the US has a massive shortage of registered nurses (RNs). With the lack of RNs, it presents many problems for the rapidly aging baby boomers who are entering the 65+ age range. Furthermore, millions of Americans now have insurance brought by the Affordable Care Act, which means they have easy access to the healthcare system.
Given the current global pandemic, it’s also expected that more and more individuals are in demand for healthcare services. However, there simply aren’t enough RNs to keep up, which is where nurse practitioners come into the picture.
Nurse practitioners closing the healthcare gaps
The good news is that nurse practitioners are more than capable of filling the roles of registered nurses. They can also go above and beyond in the delivery of healthcare as more and more physicians have become highly specialized.
In fact, the National Center for Biotechnology Information claims that nurse practitioners are the perfect solution to preventative, primary care. This is primarily because there are more of them than physicians who are capable of doing more in a medical setting when compared to an RN. They also have areas of specialization that can further address healthcare gaps.
The need for nursing practitioners in rural areas
Nurse practitioners are also in high demand in rural areas. For one, they can travel wherever healthcare is extremely needed. Two, they are the main sources of primary care as there may not be a hospital or clinic in some rural settings. Three, they are able to perform the various tasks of a primary care physician at an affordable cost for the benefit of those in rural areas. Finally, they understand the collective needs of these populations and are able to provide quality healthcare.
Conclusion
There is a rising need for nurse practitioners in the US and across the globe. Given the outbreak of COVID-19, they are needed now more than ever, as they take the roles of nurses while assuming that of doctors to fill in the gaps in the healthcare system.
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