1 Pediatric Nurse Practitioner, University of Colorado Medical Center 4200 East Ninth Avenue Box C288 Denver, Colorado 80220
In regard to the AAP statement "Academy Policy in Relation to the Pediatric Nurse Associate,"1 I feel there are some important aspects that need to be addressed.
(1) The emphasis of PNP education is aimed at well-child/parent teaching, counseling, and health maintenance. The "traditional domain of medicine," i.e., physical examination, is a learned tool by which wellness can be assessed.
(2) Nurses as health care professionals are interdependent and independent practitioners (Darling vs. Charleston Community Memorial Hospital, 33 Ill. 2d 326, 211 N.E. 2d 253 [1966]).