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Courtney McSpadden, FNP
EDUCATION
- University of California, Los Angeles (BA)
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- Samuel Merritt University, Master of Science in Nursing, Family Nurse Practitioner
HONORS AND AWARDS
- Sigma Theta Tau, International Nursing Honor Society
CERTIFICATION
- Registered Nurse, California Board of Registered Nurses
Family Nurse Practitioner (NP-C), American Academy of Nurse Practitioners
- Nurse Practitioner, California Board of Registered Nurses
PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES
- California Association of Nurse Practitioners
- Junior League of San Francisco
- Instructor/Health Educator at DayOne in San Francisco
- Guest speaker at Diablo Valley College Pre-Nursing Society meetings
INTERESTS
- Courtney is licensed as a Family Nurse Practitioner but has a special interest in women's health, particularly contraception, infection management, and adolescent health. Outside interests include traveling, food and wine tasting, volunteerism, and website creation. Courtney has her own patient education and nursing information website (www.nursecoco.com) and she teaches Newborn Care classes at DayOne, a resource for new and expecting parents. Courtney has worked at PWOG since 2008 and is bilingual in Spanish.
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WHAT IS A NURSE PRACTITIONER?
A Nurse Practitioner (NP) is a registered nurse who has completed specific advanced nursing education and training (generally a masters
or doctoral degree) in the diagnosis and management of
common as well as complex medical conditions. Nurse Practitioners
provide a broad range of health care services. Nurse practitioners, along with other advanced practice nurses,
function within the scope of their state's nurse practice act and have
varying levels of physician collaboration or supervision. In some
states, nurse practitioners function independent of physician
involvement.
The American Academy of Nurse Practitioners
defines Nurse Practitioners as licensed independent practitioners who
practice in ambulatory, acute and long term care as primary and/or
specialty care providers. They provide nursing and medical services to
individuals, families, and groups according to their area of
practice/specialty. In addition to diagnosing and managing acute
episodic and chronic illness, they also emphasize health promotion and
disease prevention, incorporating teaching and counseling of
individuals, families, and groups as a major part of their practice.
Nurse Practitioners can be trained and nationally board certified in areas of Family & Community Medicine (FNP), Pediatrics (PNP), Neonatology (NNP), Gerontology (GNP), etc. These programs, offered by many universities with a School of Nursing, are graduate-level programs; upon successful completion, students may be awarded a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) or Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree.
Nurse Practitioners treat both acute and chronic conditions through comprehensive history taking, physical exams, physical therapy, ordering tests and therapies for patients, within their scope of practice. An NP can serve as a patient's "point of entry" health care provider, and see patients of all ages depending on their designated scope of practice.
A nurse practitioner's job may include the following:
- Diagnosing, treating, evaluating and managing acute and chronic illness and disease (e.g. diabetes, high blood pressure)
- Obtaining medical histories and conducting physical examinations
- Ordering, performing, and interpreting diagnostic studies (e.g., routine lab tests, bone x-rays, ECGs)
- Prescribing physical therapy and other rehabilitation treatments
- Prescribing pharmacologic treatments and therapies for acute and chronic illness (extent of prescriptive authority varies by state regulations)
- Providing prenatal care and family planning services
- Providing well-child care, including screening and immunizations
- Providing primary and specialty care services, health-maintenance care for adults, including annual physicals
- Providing care for patients in acute and critical care settings
- Performing minor surgeries and procedures (with additional training and usually under supervision) (e.g., dermatological biopsies, suturing, casting)
- Counseling and educating patients on health behaviors, self-care skills, and treatment options