A Nurse Practitioner (NP) is an advanced practice nurse who has completed graduate-level education (either a Master's or a Doctoral degree) and training in the diagnosis and management of common as well as complex medical conditions. To become licensed to practice, Nurse Practitioners hold national certification in an area of specialty (family practice, pediatrics, adult care, acute care, etc), and are licensed through nursing boards rather than medical boards. Nurse Practitioners provide a broad range of health care services, and appear to be gaining broad acceptance by the public.

Nurse Practitioners treat both physical and mental conditions through comprehensive history taking, physical exams, physical therapy, and ordering tests and therapies for patients within their scope of practice. NPs can serve as a patient's primary health care provider, and see patients of all ages depending on their designated scope of practice.

In the United States, NPs are licensed by the state in which they practice, and have a national board certification (usually through the American Nurses Credentialing Center, American Academy of Nurse Practitioners or the National Certification Corporation). Nurse Practitioners can be trained and nationally board certified in areas of FNP (Family Nurse Practitioner), Pediatrics, including Pediatric Acute/Chronic Care, Pediatric Critical Care, Pediatric Oncology and general Pediatrics (PNP), Neonatology (NNP), Gerontology (GNP), Women's Health (WHNP), Psychiatry & Mental Health (PMHNP), Acute Care (ACNP), Adult Health (ANP), Oncology (ONP), Emergency Medicine (as FNP or ACNP), Occupational Health (as ANP), etc.