Many of you know Dr. Z as the main doctor here at AAPRI. But did you know that we also have an amazing support staff of nurse practitioners (NPs) to help you get the best possible care for your allergy and asthma issues? Read on to discover just what an NP is and how they can help you…
What is a nurse practitioner?
A nurse practitioner is a type of board-certified nurse with advanced training and education who works closely with patients to manage health conditions. They often choose specialties, including emergency, neonatal, women’s health, or family (which is what our own fabulous NPs specialize in!) NPs work in many different healthcare settings, including hospitals, long-term care facilities, or doctor’s offices like ours.
What can nurse practitioners do?
Doctors and nurse practitioners work closely together to provide the absolute best in patient care. NPs are capable of and empowered to perform a whole range of healthcare functions— you may be surprised at just how much they can do!
Nurse practitioners can:Â
Assess patient health histories
Examine patients
Order further testing
Make diagnoses
Prescribe medication
A note about prescriptions
You may already know this from our blog post on after-hours etiquette, but please remember that NONE of our medical staff can start a new prescription or refill an old or expired prescription over the phone. Because of liability issues and for your own safety, we need to see you before we can call in a prescription for you. However, if you need to see someone for a prescription refill check, you can usually get in quickly to see one of our nurse practitioners!
What does this mean for you as an AAPRI patient?
When booking an appointment with us, seeing one of our nurse practitioners can be a great choice. Why? You may have to wait a bit for an appointment with Dr. Z. (After all, there’s only one of him!) For some of your more routine needs, such as wanting a medication refill, your best choice may be to see one of our nurse practitioners instead. Because there are simply more of them, they often have a shorter wait time. They can prescribe medications, run diagnostics, and always work closely with Dr. Z to give you the best in wraparound care.
Conclusion
Nurse practitioners are highly capable specialized nurses who perform a variety of duties and work to provide excellence in patient care. So the next time you call to schedule a routine appointment or need to be seen for a prescription refill, consider requesting an appointment with one of our fantastic nurse practitioners. If you’re still not sure whom you should see or have any other questions, contact us anytime.
