Nursing is an important department in the healthcare industry. Nurses take care of patients twenty-four-seven. They monitor and record patients’ health conditions and report them to the doctor.
Nurses also have different categories but have similar responsibilities. Nurse and Nurse practitioner are two different career levels in nursing that have similar responsibilities.
Key Takeaways
- A nurse is a healthcare professional who provides care to patients under the supervision of a physician.
- A registered nurse practitioner has completed advanced education and training to provide primary care and specialized services.
- A nurse provides basic patient care, while a nurse practitioner can diagnose and treat medical conditions and prescribe medications.
Nurse vs Nurse Practitioner
A nurse and a nurse practitioner both work in healthcare, but a nurse practitioner has more advanced training and responsibilities, including the ability to diagnose and treat illnesses, and can prescribe medication.
A Nurse is a registered nurse who takes care of patients and communicates with patients and family members about the disease and the process of treatment.
Nurses can work in different environments but under the supervision of doctors. They are also responsible for home services and on the school campus. Nurses have different responsibilities to the environment.
A nurse practitioner also does the same work as a registered nurse, along with additional responsibilities. A nurse practitioner can set up his clinic and take care of patients by himself.
Nurse practitioners also work in other hospitals and can become faculty in universities to educate nursing students. They can work on their timings.
Comparison Table
| Parameters of Comparison | Nurse | Nurse Practitioner |
| Definition | Nurses work under the supervision of nurse practitioners or physicians in the health care system. | Nurse practitioners work independently or coordinate with other doctors to provide health services to patients. |
| Education | Nurses should possess an associate or bachelor’s degree in nursing | Nurse practitioners must have master’s degrees in nursing plus years of experience. |
| Timings | Nurses work in rotational shifts within the hospital. | Nurse practitioners set their timings as they run their clinic. |
| Medication | Nurses cannot provide medication to patients. | NP can provide medication to patients. |
| Practice settings | They practice nursing in hospitals, schools, surgical and research hospitals. | They practice nursing in private hospitals, universities, college campuses, and personal clinics. |
What is Nurse?
A nurse is a caretaker in health care hospitals. Nurses have many responsibilities and roles within the hospital and work in a stressful environment.
A nurse is a registered nurse who works under the supervision of physicians. A nurse can also direct other junior nurses and guide them to work.
Some of the responsibilities of nurses are monitoring a patient’s condition, measuring temperature, blood pressure, and sugar, taking blood samples and conducting tests, creating health plans for patients, communicating with family members, and giving first aid to the wounds.
Nursing career has more demand in the world due to the shortage of nurses. They are paid the highest salaries in foreign depending on their responsibilities. Nurses work in rotational shifts the entire day.
To become a registered nurse, one has to obtain an associate’s or bachelor’s degree in nursing. They should clear National Council Licensure Examination to obtain a license to work in hospitals, schools, camps, organizations, the military, and other workplaces.
Nurses can also provide home care services and attend clinical camps. Nurses have many roles. They can assist in medical research, manage hospital operations, check the quality of the hospital facility, do forensic lab work, work with military nurses, and others.
Nurses can become nurse practitioners by getting higher education certification and experience.
What is Nurse Practitioner?
Nurse practitioners are the other group of nurses who have more responsibilities than general or clinical nurses. Nurse practitioners are the nurses who have licenses to run their clinics and monitor patients.
Nurse practitioners’ responsibilities include monitoring patients’ health conditions, prescribing medicines and medical tests, operating medical equipment, diagnosing patients, and conducting treatments.
Nurse practitioners are self-employed nurses. They do not require any supervision from physicians. Instead, they are physicians. Nurse practitioners hold a master’s degree in nursing and obtain a license by attending National Council Licensure Examination.
Nurse practitioner gains experience as registered nurse and then obtain a higher degree to increase salaries. Nurse practitioners also work in different environments, such as in other hospitals, research departments, the military, educational institutes, and others.
Nurse practitioners work on their timings like 9-5, weekends, and holidays depending on the emergency. Nurse practitioners can take quick action on the patient without waiting for higher authority orders.
Nurse practitioners also coordinate with other specialist doctors, recommend doctors, and take complete account of the patient’s health.
Nurse practitioners have to work under the supervision of other specialists in some countries. Nurse practitioners have more responsibilities than registered nurses, and they can run a training institute to train other nurses independently.
Main Differences Between Nurse and Nurse Practitioner
- A nurse is a clinical nurse who works within the hospital under the supervision of a physician, while a Nurse practitioner is a physician who works in the hospital.
- The nurse is not allowed to run a private clinic, but a nurse practitioner is allowed.
- The nurse works in rotational shifts while the nurse practitioner sets his schedule of working.
- The nurse cannot prescribe medicines, but nurse practitioners can prescribe medicines and order tests.
- The nurse requires a bachelor’s degree, and nurse practitioners require a master’s degree with minimum experience to get a license.
- https://www.researchgate.net/publication/315786095_Nurses’_Perceptions_of_Nursing_as_a_Profession_and_Its_Impact_on_Their_Intention_to_Leave_Their_Career
- https://www.researchgate.net/publication/42540953_Clients’_Understanding_of_the_Role_of_Nurse_Practitioners
Last Updated : 11 June, 2023
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Piyush Yadav has spent the past 25 years working as a physicist in the local community. He is a physicist passionate about making science more accessible to our readers. He holds a BSc in Natural Sciences and Post Graduate Diploma in Environmental Science. You can read more about him on his bio page.
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