You're gonna be a what?

Some people have asked me as I describe my future goals and schooling, "What's a nurse practitioner?" Well, this article is a great explanation, and it also differentiates nurse practitioners and physicians assistants. (I.e. Nurse practitioners are more independent while physicians assistants have more flexibility in relocating...though I would say NPs have lots of options as well). And while I can't speak from a physician's assistant's point of view, I can say that compared to MD training, the nursing approach is more hoslitic, incorporating all aspects of the patient's life (cultural, psychological, religious, etc...at least in GOOD nursing practice) as well as addressing the biomedical issue at hand. Perhaps that is not the approach for everyone. But I'd say it is the right approach for me!