What is a Family Nurse Practitioner?

Nurse practitioners are considered Advanced Practice Registered Nurses, or APRNs, and they play a crucial role in healthcare settings. These advanced RNs have additional educational and certification requirements that give them important training and credentials, allowing them to be prepared for the additional job responsibilities they have. NPs have a much broader scope of practice than RNs—and in many states, including Arizona, nurse practitioners are allowed to fully practice on the same level as physicians. While they are not doctors, states like Arizona allow them  to perform the same duties and have the same or similar responsibilities.

​

Family nurse practitioners may execute the same role as a primary care physician, clinical team leader, and patient educator. They are sometimes called primary care nurse practitioners for this exact reason. Often, the terms “family nurse practitioner” and “primary care nurse practitioner” are used interchangeably. This diverse role and scope means that FNPs have many opportunities to serve patients and help improve healthcare.

In states that allow NPs full practice rights, nurse practitioners of any specialty can evaluate patients, diagnose them, order and interpret diagnostic tests, initiate and continue treatments, prescribe medicine, and more. All of this happens under the license authority of that state’s board of nursing. Arizona is one of many states that have full practice rights for nurse practitioners.

Bringing the compassion of an RN into a modern era.