Title for Nurse Practitioners

As many of you know, I despise when the term ‘mid-level’ is used to describe us nurse practitioners. When I correct people that use that term, sometimes they ask what title I would prefer to be called. I tell them to just call me what I am, a nurse practitioner. I don’t know why there is even a word at all to group nurse practitioners and physician assistants together. Does it really save that much time instead of saying both titles? Not to mention that nurse practitioners and physician assistants are very different, with a different model of care.

I like the word ‘provider’ since we can interchangeably use it in PCP. PCP originally stood for primary care physician, but these days a lot of places use it to mean primary care provider. Another term that I have heard been used before is ‘clinician’. Although this title is not often used, I like it a lot. It represents what we really are, clinical experts. However, my issue is that is doesn’t encompass the fact that nursing is both a science and an art.

I don’t know why we even have to be grouped with physicians or physician assistants in the first place. As nurse practitioners become more popular, I prefer when organizations or patients just specify who they see. I like when patients say “I saw the nurse practitioner in the ER” or when clinic managers say “we are proud of what our physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants have been doing.”

What are your thoughts? Is there a preferable way you like to be called?

With that being said, I really liked this article called “Don’t Call Me a Mid-Level Provider!”