UpDate - Vol. 14, No. 9, Page 1
October 27, 1994
Nurse Practitioners' Week celebrated in November

     Another term for nurse practitioners is expert nurses, for that
is essentially what they are. According to Barbara Sheer, assistant
professor of nursing who organized and coordinates the University's
program, nurse practitioners are primary care professionals-promoting
wellness, performing physicals, diagnosing illnesses, prescribing
medication and carrying out front-line, basic treatment of patients.
     The first week of November is Nurse Practitioners' Week in
Delaware and several other states, honoring this emerging group of
health-care providers.
     A growing profession since it began 30 years in Colorado, nurse
practitioners are one of the answers to this country's health care-
problems because they provide basic care at a competitive cost. Nurse
practitioners specialize in such health-related areas as pediatrics,
women's health, mental health, geriatric care and family health needs.
     They are found in a variety of medical settings, including
community health centers, hospitals, private practice, clinics,
physician offices, nursing homes and hospices.
     The University's family nurse practitioner program, approved in
1992, was an instant success, fulfilling a need in nursing education
and in the health-care field, Sheer said.
     "The program has been full with a waiting list since its
inception, and the quality of students who apply is high. There is a
great demand for nurse practitioners. For every graduate there are six
jobs nationally," Sheer said.
     Limited to 45 students, the program requires that candidates must
have at least one year of nursing experience before applying, but most
have an average of 10 years, Sheer said. Some students participate in
the program full-time while others also combine work with school.
     The program is demanding, Sheer said, with 47 classroom credits,
more than other nursing master's programs, in such areas as
pathophysiology, pharmacology and episodic and chronic health needs
and problems. The students also must have a minimum of 500 hours of
clinical experience and write a thesis or carry out a scholarly
project.
     Nurse practitioners also are activists in the legislative and
political arena, promoting recognition of their profession. Sheer was
involved in the passage of Delaware House Bill 427, which permits
qualified advance practice nurses to make medical diagnosis and to
prescribe medication under regulations established by a Joint Practice
Committee of nurses and physicians.
     A past president of the National Alliance of Nurse Practitioners,
she is an active participant in the American Academy of Nurse
Practitioners annual legislative days in Washington, D.C.
     Sheer holds a bachelor's degree from the University of
Pennsylvania, a pediatric nurse practitioner's degree from Rutgers, a
family nurse practitioner degree from the State University of New York
in Binghamton and a doctorate in nursing education from Widener
University. In 1994, she received the American Academy of Nurse
Practitioners Award for Outstanding Leadership and Service and was
honored as a Superstar Educator of the Year by the Delaware Chamber of
Commerce.
     The Delaware program offers nurses expanded career opportunities.
For example, Jane Govatos of Lewes formerly was in charge of the
operating and recovery room at Milford Hospital. She missed patient
contact and was interested in a preventative focus in health care. The
nursing practitioner program offered a new direction to her career,
and she currently is working with midwives as part of her clinical
requirement.
     An alumna of the University, Debra Dempsey of Newark said she
feels that the nurse practitioner field is on the cutting edge of
health care reform. Dempsey, state representative to the American
Academy of Nurse Practitioners, took an active role in promoting HB
427. A Grange member, she made presentations about the profession to
members of the organization and was instrumental in winning their
support.
     Also a nursing graduate of Delaware, Sian Agers said the family
practice nurse practitioner program provides her with an opportunity
to move from high-risk care to family-health care where there is a
genuine need. Agers was a delegate a meeting in Chicago of the
Coalition of Health Professional Students, representing physicians,
dentists, nurses and other professionals who are teaming together to
take an interdisciplinary approach to health care.
     In general, the nurse practitioner profession is well-received,
Sheer says. She recalls an incident where one physician who was
skeptical about nurse practitioners agreed to accept a student in his
office. When it was time for her to leave, he offered her a job and
took on more students for their clinical training.
     Nurse practitioners traditionally have been advocates of the
under-served populations in health care and have acted as family
health-care providers in the community, spending time with patients
and getting to know them, Sheer said.
     The movement is international in scope. For example, Delaware has
an exchange program with the Royal College of Nursing in London so
Delaware students can learn about Great Britain's nurse practitioner
training.
                                                   -Sue Swyers Moncure