Nurse practitioners identify the state of health of individuals or families. They screen for problems that need to be referred to physicians or other resources. Otherwise nurse practitioners treat short-term and lasting illnesses. They promote and teach health maintenance to patients and their families. They coordinate all phases of a patient's health care.
Nurse practitioners take medical histories and perform physical exams.
They interpret laboratory tests and write prescriptions. They provide counseling in mental health or family planning. There are many specialties for nurse practitioners. These include family, pediatric, adult, and geriatric health. Mental health, midwifery, women's health care, school health care, and college health are other options.