A nurse practitioner is a registered nurse who has completed extensive education in the management and diagnosis of common medical conditions, including chronic illnesses. With this advanced education, nurse practitioners can provide a broad range of health care services to patients of all ages. Meet Dianne Paine: a nurse practitioner at Family Health Care Associates, a part of the Central Maine Medical Center family.

Paine said that nurse practitioners work in many different aspects of health care, some working with specific offices such as pediatrics, cardiac or dermatology; others alongside primary physicians. “At Family Health Care Associates, we see patients of all ages,” said Paine. “Our schedules are filled with visits with newborns to the elderly. We provide well-child checks; yearly physicals; well-woman care; supportive counseling; acute visits, from a child’s ear pain to an adult with chest pain; and medication prescription and management. We also care for chronic diseases, such as diabetes and hypertension and some, including myself, are also trained in minor procedures such as skin biopsies and IUD insertion.”

According to Paine, her goal is to help patients maintain the maximum stage of health possible. “I have the opportunity to spend a lot of time educating and counseling patients on preventive care and healthy life choices.”

Another important aspect of the nurse practitioner is to maintain a close, working relationship with the physicians they work with. “We work in a very collegial setting here,” explained Paine. “The physicians we work with are always available to consult with on one of our patients, who may have a complicated health history or unusual problem. And, of course, we have multiple specialists who are available to us by phone for questions or to refer patients to as part of the CMMC family.”

According to Paine, nurse practitioners have evolved into an essential role in healthcare and there are an increasing number of patients who entrust these individuals with much of their routine healthcare.

Paine noted, “When I started at Family Health, there was only one other nurse practitioner. Patients just weren’t familiar with our capability. They would ask to see an MD. Now there are four of us in the office, and it is unusual for me to meet a patient who has never had an office visit with a nurse practitioner.”

Paine enjoys her job and, literally, getting to know her patients well. “One of the joys of family practice is getting to care for multiple, family members,” she smiled. “There are various challenges every day… from dealing with difficult diagnoses to changes in healthcare. These challenges are offset by the interactions with patients and knowing you have made a difference for many. With the support from colleagues and co-workers and the relationships with patients, I can’t imagine a more rewarding career choice for me.”

Numbers of Nurse Practitioners

According to the “National Sample Survey of Registered Nurses 2008: Initial Findings” (Health Resources Services Administration, 2010), in 2008, there were an estimated 158,348 nurse practitioners with credentials as NPs in the United States, an estimated increase from 141,209 in 2004.

— Courtesy of Health Resources Services Administration