Adams County Health Center Inc. P.O. BOX 428 Council, ID 83612 US
Phone: (208) 253-4242
PRIMARY CARE
What is a nurse practitioner?
According to the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, a NP is a licensed medical practitioner who provides primary care services and/or specialty nursing and medical care in a variety of settings. A Nurse Practitioner is a registered nurse that has completed “specialized, advanced education” and additional clinical work. In order be a Nurse Practitioner, you must have to have a Master’s, post-master’s or doctoral degree to be considered for entry-level positions. The nurse practitioners at the Adams County Health Center specialize in preventative and routine care for the whole family, urgent medical care, sport and DOT physicals, chronic illness management, immunizations, minor laceration care, orthopedic injuries, laboratory, x-rays, physical therapy, concussion screening, and medically monitored weight loss. Nurse Practitioners can work on their own and with other health care professionals to provide health care services.
Adams County Health Center is primarily composed of Nurse Practitioners…so why is that a good thing for you? Well to start, you’re pretty likely to be satisfied with your care. The AANP reports that over 870 million visits are made to NPs each year, and patients that are surveyed report “an extremely high level of satisfaction with the care they receive”. Nurse Practitioners also help solve a growing primary care provider shortage. As a U.S. News article stated, in some rural parts of the country, a nurse practitioner might be the only provider in town. Doesn't that sound a little bit like Council?
Now you might be thinking, how is an NP different from a Doctor? When you hear about all of the things a NP can do you probably think, that sounds just like a Doctor, but they are in fact a little bit different. Nurse Practitioners and Doctors go through different amounts of schooling. For instance, to become a Doctor it usually takes around 11 years of postsecondary training whereas to become a Nurse Practitioner it only takes anywhere from 6-8 years of postsecondary training. The also differ on being able to prescribe medications. Doctors and Nurse Practitioners can prescribe medication in all 50 states and DC but the independence levels of the NP differs from state to state based on specific state laws. In some states, NPs have to collaborate with doctors in order to prescribe some medicine, medical devices, and certain treatments.
Are you ready to come see one of our Nurse Practitioners? ADAMS COUNTY HEALTH CENTER we have 3 NPs ready to best meet your needs. We are located in Council, ID at 205 N Berkley St. Make an appointment today by calling (208) 253-4242!
