Nurse practitioners in the emergency department.

Nurse practitioners (NPs) are “registered nurses with additional educational preparation and experience who possess and demonstrate the competencies to autonomously diagnose, order and interpret diagnostic tests, prescribe pharmaceuticals and perform specific procedures within their legislated scope of practice. (Canadian Nurses Association [CNA], 2006, p. 19). The NP role is derived “from blending clinical diagnostic and therapeutic knowledge, skills and abilities within a nursing framework that emphasizes holism, health promotion and partnership with individuals and families, as well as communities” (Robinson Vollman & Martin-Misener, 2005, p. 2). “The education and experience of NPs uniquely positions them to function both independently and collaboratively in a variety of settings across the continuum of care” (CNA, 2009, p. 1).