U.S. governors from coast to coast are honoring nurse practitioners (NPs) and proclaiming Nov. 13-19 National NP Week. NPs are the health provider of choice for millions of Americans. As clinicians that blend clinical expertise in diagnosing and treating health conditions with an added emphasis on disease prevention and health management, NPs bring a comprehensive perspective and personal touch to health care. Governors and other elected leaders, patients, the American Association of Nurse Practitioners® (AANP) and health care providers are recognizing NPs for the lifesaving care they deliver every day.
“NPs provide high-quality primary, acute and specialty health care services while emphasizing health promotion, disease prevention, health education and counseling to guide patients to make smarter health and lifestyle choices every day,” Gov. Laura Kelly of Kansas wrote in her proclamation.
“Massachusetts is proud to recognize and honor the countless contributions NPs have made over the past half-century and will continue to make toward the health and well-being of citizens of our state,” Gov. Charlie Baker of Massachusetts wrote in his proclamation.
NPs provide patients of all ages with comprehensive, person-centered health care services in more than 1 billion visits each year. In addition to diagnosing, treating and prescribing medications for acute, episodic and chronic illnesses, NPs practice in nearly every health care setting, including hospitals, private practices, colleges and universities, public health departments and home health locations.
“NP Week provides the opportunity to highlight the positive contributions NPs make to the health of patients nationwide,” said AANP President April Kapu, DNP, APRN, ACNP-BC, FAANP, FCCM, FAAN. “This NP Week, AANP wishes to thank the nation’s NPs for their ongoing commitment to meeting the needs of their patients and their dedication to improving the health of their communities. NPs offer significant clinical expertise and vital solutions to the challenges facing our health care system and the patients we serve.”
Currently, there are more than 355,000 licensed NPs in the U.S. who provide care in communities of all sizes, and U.S. News and World Report ranked the NP role first on its 2022 Best Health Care Jobs list. For more information on NP Week and this year’s theme, NPs: Rising to Meet the Needs of Patients, visit aanp.org/npweek.
