If physicians are going to continue to leave the general practice field, then the AMA should not complain when NPs step up to fill the vacancy that the physicians have created. It follows that an NP must have a wide range of skills in order to provide this primary care. They can also diagnose, treat, and monitor chronic diseases such as diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and depression. Pediatric NPs are responsible for managing the care of healthy newborns and mothers before, during, and after the delivery. Nurse practitioners can also order and interpret laboratory and other diagnostic tests.
Several states allow NPs to prescribe, administer, and evaluate pharmacological treatment.
All of these skills combined form the backbone of any type of primary health care. It stands to reason, then, that these NPs are able to provide primary health care in just the same manner that physicians are. As a result of the focus of the NPs undergraduate education they are better able to provide this care than physicians. Nurse practitioners, or any other type of advanced practice nurse, are still registered nurses. What this means is they have received four to five years of undergraduate education that focuses on providing the patient the best possible bed side care they can.