Duties of a nurse practitioner
Monday, July 6, 2015
Nurse practitioners are advanced practitioners who have many of the same responsibilities as physicians. With the exception of surgery, they deal with the full gamut of non-surgical orthopedic conditions.
“I’m a mid-level practitioner, which means I can diagnose and treat most common complaints in the orthopedic world,” says Cathy Sukowaty, APNP, a nurse practitioner with Orthopedics & Sports Medicine BayCare Clinic, as she explains the duties of her role.
“I do a lot of the initial evaluations for the physicians, however if somebody definitely needs surgery, then they’re referred to one of the surgeons for further treatment,” she adds.
Nurse practitioners often deal with conservative treatments and the control of conditions such as osteoarthritis. Watch as Cathy explains how she, as a nurse practitioner, manages the symptoms of arthritis if surgery is not yet required.
