nurse practitioner

noun

: a registered nurse who is qualified through advanced training to assume some of the duties and responsibilities formerly assumed only by a physician

—abbreviation NP

Examples of nurse practitioner in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

For the writer and former psychiatric nurse practitioner, putting her experience on the page was initially the furthest thing from her mind. — Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 15 Sep. 2026

That has included efforts to restrict the number of medical residency slots and opposition to letting nurse practitioners and other providers take on work that doctors do. — Greg Rosalsky, NPR, 14 Sep. 2026

In some cases, these medicines are prescribed by nurse practitioners or physician assistants with psychiatric qualifications, but most are written by primary care providers, who are not specialists in mental health. — Andrew McLean, The Conversation, 10 Sep. 2026

Among individual occupations, nurse practitioners will see a 41% surge in employment, while medical and health services managers will jump 24%. — Jason Ma, Fortune, 5 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1967, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for nurse practitioner

• commissioner
• conditioner
• parishioner
• petitioner
• positioner
• missioner

Medical Definition

nurse practitioner

noun

: a registered nurse who through advanced training is qualified to assume some of the duties and responsibilities formerly assumed only by a physician

—abbreviation NP

called also nurse clinician