Responsibilities of a nurse practitioner (NP)

NUR 600 Pharmacology

One of the responsibilities of a nurse practitioner (NP) is to understand the breadth of

prescribing authority over drugs, medical services, medical devices, and controlled substances in

the region or state. An NP should also understand the ethical and legal implications of

prescribing drugs, especially considering the current opioid crisis. An NP with the legal power to

prescribe must adhere to the set guidelines to guarantee clients are protected from harm.

Understanding a drug’s pharmacological, pharmacodynamics, and pharmacokinetics

properties is crucial for advanced practice registered nurses. Additionally, an NP should

understand pharmacogenomics to establish how a patient may respond to medication, given the

genetic variations that predict drug responses. This is because besides assessing and managing

patients, they have responsibilities in prescribing. Prior to prescribing, an NP must collect and

evaluate subjective and objective data to make a precise diagnosis and formulate a treatment