Celebrating Unique Health Care Providers

The U.S. is facing a primary care provider shortage, according to the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners (AANP). A solution for the need of health care professionals is the nurse practitioner. A nurse practitioner is a registered nurse who has advanced education and clinical training in a health care specialty. Currently there are more than 140,000 nurse practitioners nationwide.

The Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC) School of Nursing in conjunction with the AANP and nursing schools across the country, will celebrate Nurse Practitioner Week Nov. 13-19. The School of Nursing will host a luncheon from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Nov. 16 at the International Cultural Center, 601 Indiana Ave. Jo Ellen Wynn, a family nurse practitioner and associate director of education for the AANP, will be the keynote speaker.

Among the many services nurse practitioners provide:

• Deliver a unique blend of nursing and medical care, focusing on care and cure


• Order and interpret diagnostic tests such as lab work and X-rays


• Diagnose and treat acute and chronic conditions such as diabetes and injuries


• Prescribe appropriate treatments


• Practice with other health care professionals to assess, diagnose, treat and manage patients’ health needs

Each year8,000 new nurse practitioners are prepared at more than 325 colleges and universities in the U.S., according to the AANP. Visit www.aanp.org or www.texasnp.org for more information.

The TTUHSC School of Nursing graduated 104 nurse practitioners this year. An estimated 115 students will graduate from the program in 2012.

If you would like to attend the luncheon, RSVP by Nov. 9 to Debbie Rivera at (806) 743-2444 or email debbie.rivera@ttuhsc.edu.

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