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Nurse Practitioner : Psychology And Pediatrics

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Nurse Practitioner in Psychology and Pediatrics
Pursuing a Masters or higher in nursing enables nurses to work with a great level of autonomy and understanding of the profession. One aspect of higher education for nursed included becoming a Nurse Practitioner, who gains the ability to prescribe and diagnose aliments under the guidance of a physician (this is true in most states, but in some a Nurse Practitioner can have his/her own practice). To attain this level of nursing one must get a masters but there is currently a push toward Doctors of Nursing Practice programs for this field. Two subspecialties include psychology which is focused on the entire life span and pediatric which can either focus on acute or primary care.
A psychiatric nurse practitioner focuses on treating people with psychological illnesses often with a high level of severity. Serving as an addition to the treatment team he/she can work in a variety of settings. They are commonly employed in group practices or community settings and can provide medication management, counseling, and treatment planning and management. They will work with individuals, groups and families, to provide the best treatment for those with mental health issues. Nurses also contribute to the environment of mental health care by helping implement policy, reform, improvement and evaluation of the treatment available to patients. (www.apna.org)
While, treating children with serious and acute illnesses is the focus of a PNP

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