VISTA Celebrates Nurse Practitioner Week

Nurse Practitioners Week kicked off this week to give recognition and credit to not only NPs who have been on the front lines of the pandemic but those who have given everything they've got to provide compassionate, high-quality healthcare to their patients.  

The event is sponsored by the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) every year to bring more awareness to NPs to ensure they are equipped with the right tools and resources to give patients the care they need and continue addressing the advancing role of NPs. 

This year's theme represents the impact of each role in our healthcare system over many decades, particularly in the last two years of the pandemic: Going The Extra Mile. After all, nurse practitioners prove that they are willing to go the extra mile to provide lifesaving care for their patients every day.  

As we celebrate Nurse Practitioners Week, it's essential that we all recognize, honor, and celebrate the NP role, and the incredible differences they're making in the world today. 

How Do NPs Go the Extra Mile?  

NPs have played a significant role in the health of communities all over the U.S. for more than 50 years. Yet, since the pandemic, they have somehow gone beyond their capacity to lead the charge in testing, diagnosing, and treating Covid-19 patients. Nevertheless, the dedication and commitment have been genuinely impactful as we move toward a brighter future. 

NPs have stepped up to provide health care to patients in their homes, through telehealth, or in long-term and specialty care settings. Without a second thought, nurse practitioners put patients in need before their health and safety, leading the nation with an inspirational amount of hope and love that can be seen and felt through their care. The impact has been tremendous before and during the pandemic and will remain an essential role in the well-being of communities nationwide.  

Facts about NPs: Highlighted with Statistics  

First and foremost, research shows that there is a tremendous amount of NPs nationwide who have impacted the healthcare system with their talent, expertise, and compassion:

• • There are more than 325,000 NPs licensed in the U.S.
  • More than 36,000 new NPs completed their academic programs in 2019-2020.
  • 88.9% of NPs are certified in an area of primary care, and 70.2% of all NPs deliver primary care.
  • 81% of full-time NPs are seeing Medicare patients, and 78.7% are seeing Medicaid patients.
  • 42.5% of full-time NPs hold hospital privileges; 12.8% have long-term care privileges. 
  • 96.2%of NPs prescribe medications, and those in full-time practice write an average of 21 prescriptions per day. 
  • NPs hold Prescriptive privileges, including controlled substances, in all 50 states and D.C. 
  • The majority of NPs (59.4%) see three or more patients per hour.
  • On average, NPs have been in practice for 11 years. 

Next Step: Check Out VISTA's Job Board! 

VISTA knows the value and importance of NPs in our healthcare system and is ready to contribute and support NPs through the second week of November (and every other day of the year!). If you're an NP, we thank you for all your hard work, dedication, compassion, commitment, and unimaginable courage through the pandemic and long before. 

To continue making a difference in communities across the U.S., consider working with VISTA for the adventure of a lifetime.