Thank You, Nurse Practitioners!

St. Francis-Emory Healthcare invites you to join us in celebrating National Nurse Practitioner Week, Nov. 12-18, 2024. The annual event recognizes and raises awareness about the vital role nurse practitioners (NPs) play in providing quality patient care and better healthcare access.

Quick history lesson: the NP role was created in the 1960s by Dr. Loretta Ford and Dr. Henry Silver in Colorado out of need to increase patients' access to pediatric care. Today, NPs provide quality primary care across the country and help solve one of our nation’s biggest healthcare challenges, access to care.

There simply aren’t enough doctors spread throughout the country to meet the need for quality care. And producing doctors takes time – generally, it takes 11 years of education (four years of undergraduate, four years of medical school, and three years in residency) before a doctor begins practicing. Nurse practitioners can complete their education and training and be practicing in a third of the time.

NPs do not bring the level of education or patient experience to the examining room as doctors, but they can perform many of the responsibilities of physicians. They examine patients and diagnose and treat illnesses. They interpret lab results and X-rays and prescribe medications. And, they offer health education and counseling to support the overall wellness of their patients.

Nurse Practitioners fill gaps in healthcare – especially in areas such as primary care and urgent care – to help more individuals get the care they need, including those with social determinants that can sometimes preclude them from care.

At St. Francis-Emory Healthcare, we love our nurse practitioners and often hear our patients express a similar appreciation. This week and every week, we hope you thank our nurse practitioners and celebrate their passion for caring for others and their important role in our healthcare system!