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Southern Illinois University School of Medicine

What is a nurse practitioner?

A nurse practitioner (NP) is a registered nurse who has a master's degree in nursing and advanced education in the diagnosis and management of medical conditions. Nurse practitioners practice in collaboration with physicians to assess, diagnose, treat and manage the patient’s health problems\needs. In our child neurology clinics, the nurse practitioners have expertise in their specialty areas of practice and general child and adolescent neurology. They provide care in the office setting, outpatient operating room, and hospital. They are licensed by the state of Illinois and board certified through American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). Nurse practitioners treat both acute and chronic neurological conditions through prescribing medications, therapies, and ordering diagnostic tests for their patients. Teaching and counseling patients and their families are a major part of our nurse practitioner practices. Informing pediatric patients, who are old enough, about their health care and encouraging them to participate in decisions are central to the care provided by our NPs.