Primary care is first access health care.
Adult Primary Care Nurse Practitioners give broad, comprehensive care within legal parameters to adults across the life span in ambulatory settings. Their focus is health promotion, risk detection, illness prevention, and management of acute and chronic illnesses. Adult Primary Care NPs are taught to practice directly or in collaboration with other health professional to provide continuity of health care and to maximize the effectiveness of community and health care system services. Adult Primary Care NPs may also specialize as Gerontological nurse Practitioners, or may take additional courses to qualify as Family Nurse Practitioners. Students learn clinical judgment and primary care skills through faculty mentorship and clinical preceptors in a variety of ambulatory care settings and specialty clinics.