Nurses are an integral part of many health care teams, and health professionals you’ve most likely encountered quite often throughout your life. But have you ever considered working individually with a nurse to achieve your personal health and wellness goals? With a diverse knowledge on patient care and emphasis on preventive care and health promotion, nurses can be highly insightful health professionals to work with. So, let’s talk more today about how partnering with a nurse practitioner can go beyond medical care, and their commitment to your whole health, both today and in the long term.
What is a Nurse Practitioner?
What exactly are Nurse Practitioners in Private Practice? Well, they are registered nurses who, after additional education and rigorous exams, are certified to provide more personalized, extensive care to their patients. (1). As certified nurse practitioners, they have the authority to provide you with a greater scope of practice, also advocating for holistic patient care in a private or personalized care setting. Once certified, nurse practitioners providing primary care have authority to conduct comprehensive health assessments, order necessary lab tests, and update your medical prescriptions.
Becoming a nurse practitioner involves several steps, including first obtaining a bachelor’s degree in nursing, and passing an examination to receive a certificate of registration. Many nurse practitioners also pursue further academic achievements, such as a doctorate in nursing practices, to enhance their expertise and contribute to advancement in their patient care (1). Through this combination of education, training, and certification, nurse practitioners are equipped with the knowledge and skills to provide high-quality, patient-centered care across a wide range of healthcare settings.
How might working with an NP be right for me?
Why consider Nurse Practitioners in Private Practice for your healthcare needs? Their strong emphasis on disease prevention, health education, and counselling sets them apart. As insightful clinical care providers, they offer access to a diverse range of medical services tailored to individual patient needs. While booking appointments with your family physician might sometimes be challenging due to limited availability, nurse practitioners can often provide more in-depth sessions dedicated to working with you. That time allows them to take a holistic approach to treatment, as they consider how to treat you as a whole person by gathering your medical history, and recognizing how any ongoing illness affects you and your family’s life. With that information in mind, a nurse practitioner works with you to put together a healthcare plan that aligns with your goals, while addressing any underlying causes.
On a day-to-day basis, nurse practitioners have accumulated extensive experience working with a diverse range of people with a variety of health and wellness goals. can support you as a client with their extensive experience accumulated working with a diverse range of people with diverse individual wellness goals. This background equips them to address a variety of medical concerns, from routine check-ups to more complex health challenges like managing chronic diseases.
What diagnostic services would a nurse practitioner help me to access?
While nurse practitioners have expertise across multiple specialties, here are some areas of care that are typically covered in their scope of practice:
- Health assessment and monitoring – Nurse practitioners can conduct check-ups, screenings for disease or illness, as well as medical history reviews to address and identify any medical concerns you may have.
- Diverse knowledge and experience – Whether you have a seasonal illness, the flu or are looking for general health advice, nurse practitioners can provide you with holistic and personalized recommendations to address your health concerns.
- Medical Prescriptions – They can also provide medical prescriptions for necessary treatment, including renewal and updating medicine modifications as needed.
- Order diagnostic testing – Blood and diagnostic lab test panels, as well as allergen testing like blood prick tests can be ordered by nurse practitioners. They can also walk you through the follow-up results to discuss the findings with you (2).
- Health care plan development and ongoing recovery – Once your health concerns or wellness goals are identified, a nurse practitioner can implement a health care plan to help you treat them or learn how to achieve them. This can include learning to manage life with a chronic illness.
- Specialist referrals – Acting as a bridge between you and necessary specialists, nurse practitioners can ensure a comprehensive and coordinated bridge between you and any necessary specialists to assist you in your care treatment.
- Health education – Finally, nurse practitioners can offer guidance for leading a life of wellness long-term, emphasizing preventive measures and overall physical and mental well-being.
A holistic approach to your health through psychotherapy
Here at Nourishing Balance, we firmly believe in taking a holistic approach to your wellness and health. Embracing this approach, in addition to her specialty in primary care, our team’s nurse practitioner Julia is also certified in psychotherapy. Her passion for comprehensive, holistic care and integration of psychotherapy techniques enables her to recognize the impact of past experiences on your present well-being. By understanding the way these lived experiences and coping patterns may have shaped your journey, it can allow her to guide you through your current situation. This understanding forms the foundation for tailoring a healthcare plan that effectively supports your individual health needs; while addressing not only your physical but mental and emotional well-being.
If you are interested in a 15-minute discovery call with Julia to share your wellness goals and learn how she can help support your journey, click here! She specializes in women’s health, pediatric health, and postpartum support, and offers a range of services from prescriptions and renewals to chronic disease management, travel medicine, mental health, and neonatal care.
Our team here at Nourishing Balance can support you on your personal journey towards holistic well-being. With a diverse team of Registered Dietitians, Psychotherapists, Social Workers, and Nurse Practitioner, we can provide valuable insights and guidance to help you develop sustainable practices to support your innate wellness, and health or nutrition goals. To learn more about Nourishing Balance’s team of integrative health practitioners visit us here.
Sources:
- https://www.cno.org/en/become-a-nurse/new-applicants1/nurse-practitioner/registration-requirements-for-nps/
- https://www.cno.org/globalassets/docs/prac/41038_strdrnec.pdf
