Nurse Practitioners are advanced practice nurses that can diagnose, treat, consult, and do other things to help patients. They are also able to conduct physicals, order tests, prescribe medication, and more. In some states, NP's don't need an MD's supervision and can even run their own clinic. Many people used to be RN's before they became an NP so they have years of experience. To be an NP, they need to enter a Masters or Doctorate program which can last from 2-4 years. The good thing about NP programs is that they are very flexible. Some do part time programs, others do full time, some can even do online or hybrid.
