Nurse practitioners have been in the news in early 2017, and for very good reason; the time for nurse practitioners (NPs) and advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) to step forward has come, and the world is taking notice. In defining NPs, the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) states the following on their website: “Nurse Practitioners (NPs) have been providing primary, acute and specialty healthcare to patients of all ages and walks of life for nearly half a century. NPs assess patients, order and interpret diagnostic tests, make diagnoses, and initiate and manage treatment plans – including prescribing medications. They are the healthcare providers of choice for millions of patients.”…