​Oklahoma Celebrates NP Week and 50 Year of Nurse Practitioners

This year marks the 50thanniversary of the profession of nurse practitioner!The first NP program was founded in 1965 by Loretta Ford, EdD, PNP, FAAN, and Henry Silver, MD, at the University of Colorado. In the 1970s, the program became a master’s degree program and had diversified into many different specialty NP programs. Today there are hundreds of thousands of nurse practitioners practicing in scores of specialty areas.

What is NP Week?

“National Nurse Practitioner Week is held annually to celebrate these exceptional healthcare providers and to remind lawmakers of the importance of removing outdated barriers to practice so that NPs will be allowed to practice to the full extent of their experience and education.” –AANP

Oklahoma nurse practitioners have had an exciting 2015! We just wrapped up our 2015 Fall Conference, and we are thrilled to continue building awareness about our profession in the community this National Nurse Practitioner Week Nov. 8-15, 2015.

Why is NP Week important?

Over the last fifty years, the health care need has grown. With the Affordable Care Act and more people are seeking medical care, states are seeing the need to allow full practice authority to nurse practitioners. To date 21 states have allowed NPs the full scope of practice.

The AONP, AANP and friends are working hard toward full practice authority for Oklahoma, as the need for access to affordable healthcare is becoming more apparent. Currently, there are more than 205,000 practicing NPs with over 244,000 expected to be practicing by 2025.

How can I spread awareness?

Share your personal story with your friends. Why is it important to you that nurse practitioners have full practice authority? A first-person story is always the best way to connect with someone on an issue.

Follow us on Facebook and Twitterand our #RightToPractice hashtag to keep up with news and information related to nurse practitioners in Oklahoma.

Watch and share this video. Remind people that it’s NP Week!As the video states, nurse practitioners are at the forefront of our healthcare future, and millions of people choose a nurse practitioner as their primary health provider.

Share some NP facts

• Patients whose primary care providers are NPs have fewer emergency room visits and shorter hospital stays, resulting in lower out-of-pocket costs
• NPs emphasize the health and well-being of the whole person in their approach, including helping patients make educated health care decisions and healthy lifestyle choices.
• The confidence patients have in NPs is demonstrated by the more than 916 million visits made to NPs each year.
• NPs offer high-quality, cost-effective, patient-centered health care.
• NPs provide a full range of services, such as ordering, performing and interpreting diagnostic tests; diagnosing and treating acute and chronic conditions; prescribing medications and treatments; and managing overall patient care.

You can find more talking points, facts and resources in the NP Week Resource Guide made by the AANP.