Nursing Specialists program; and the National Certification Board of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners and Nurses accredits pediatric programs.
In 1993, The American Academy of Nurse Practitioners developed a set of standards for practice, specifying activities which fall within the scope of practice of the NP (Sherwood, Brown, Fay and Wardell, 1997). They cover qualifications, collaborative responsibilities, documentation, client advocacy, quality assurance, supporting roles, process of care environment, and research.
Nurse Practitioners (NP) prepare initially in an NP program of at least three months, but 65 percent of NPs have completed a master's degree program and 10 percent have a post-master's degree certificate (Nursing, 2006). Most NPs get their RN and then work for two or more years before entering an NP program (Nurse, 2006). NPs may practice independently or practice in hospitals, various health care agencies, long-term health care facilities, etc. and function as primary clinicians (Nursing, 2006). They diagnose and treat acute and ch
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