Nurse Practitioner team, The Mount Sinai Hospital
The Nurse Practitioner (NP) profession originated in the 1960s through the collaborative and collegial efforts of nurse Loretta Ford, MS, EdD, FAAN, FAANP, and physician Henry Silver, MD, with an emphasis on illness prevention and health promotion including patient education.
Today, there are more than 385,000 licensed NPs bringing a comprehensive perspective to health care all across the United States. The NP role is deemed as one of the fastest growing professions, with the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projecting a 46 percent increase by 2031.
In collaboration with physicians and interdisciplinary team members, NPs continue to make valuable contributions in delivering optimal patient care while minimizing duplication of clinical effort and promoting the appropriate and timely use of all health care providers on the team. NPs provide care that is respectful of and responsive to individual patient preferences, needs, and values, and ensure that patient values guide all clinical decisions.
Nurse Practitioner Week, Sunday, November 10, to Saturday, November 16, provides the Mount Sinai community with the opportunity to reflect on the valuable contributions of our approximately 900 NPs in advancing the mission, vision, and values of our organization.
Below are brief personal reflections of a few of our Mount Sinai Health System NPs on the importance of the NP role in health care:
“NPs bring a unique blend of clinical expertise and patient-centered care to health care. With advanced training, we provide comprehensive assessments, diagnose conditions, and develop treatment plans, often with a focus on preventive care and patient education,” says Meghan Costigan Kraus, FNP-BC, CDCES, Director of Diabetes Services/Endocrinology, Mount Sinai South Nassau. “NPs’ holistic approach emphasizes communication and education, fostering strong relationships and empowering the patients they care for.”
Meghan Costigan Kraus, FNP-BC, CDCES
J’Adore Larosa-Mattis, MSN, APRN, FNP-BC
“As a NP, I prioritize patient-centered care and building strong relationships with my patients and their families,” says J’Adore Larosa-Mattis, MSN, APRN, FNP-BC, Department of Surgery, Mount Sinai-Union Square. “A great NP combines clinical expertise with empathy, active listening, and a holistic approach to health. Patients often describe us as approachable and dedicated, highlighting our ability to understand their unique needs and concerns, which fosters trust and enhances their overall experience.”
“NPs bring knowledge and understanding from both nursing and medicine to care for patients and their families, enhancing our ability to collaborate with all care teams and provide the best possible care,” says Francisco Diaz, DNP, RN, NP-BC, GNP-BC, CDCES, Diabetes Care and Education Specialist, Mount Sinai Morningside.
Francisco Diaz, DNP, RN, NP-BC, GNP-BC, CDCES
Helen Wu, NP-BC
“I chose to transition from RN to NP to continue learning and expanding my ability to care for patients,” says Helen Wu, NP-BC, Heart Failure, Mount Sinai Queens. “This journey has been a significant step in my professional development, allowing me to enhance patient care through advanced practice. NPs are important to patient care and provide a blend of clinical expertise, patient-centered care, and compassion.”
“NPs approach the patient with a nursing perspective, which is grounded in being caring and compassionate, really trying to understand our patient from a human perspective,” says Lisette Kimbere, DNP, ANP-BC, Oncology Care Unit, The Mount Sinai Hospital. “We also bring the provider perspective. We understand what may be best for these patients and how to proceed with a specific line of treatment. In a way, we bring the best of both worlds to the patient and their family.”
Lisette Kimbere, DNP, ANP-BC
Holly Morhaim, MSN, NP
“An NP is a clinician who is caring, attentive, establishes trust with their patients, and uses their knowledge, expertise, and experience in bridging gaps in care,” says Holly Morhaim, MSN, NP, Clinical Program Manager, Mount Sinai Stroke Center, Mount Sinai Brooklyn.” An NP differs from a clinical nurse in being able to diagnose and treat medical conditions, order diagnostic tests, and prescribe medical therapies. NPs are nurses at heart, and in addition to diagnosing and treating patients they also focus on patients’ comfort; help bridge patients’ understanding of the disease process, treatments, and expectations; and provide more comprehensive patient education.”
“My sister has been a patient in the health care system for her whole life,” says Chloe Jones, NP, Mount Sinai West. “It can be a confusing, contradictory, and frustrating system to navigate. She has an NP on her cardiology team who is the ‘go-to person.’ If there’s a problem, she solves it. If there’s a question, she answers it. If she doesn’t know, she finds the answer. That’s the value that an NP can bring to care: being the go-to person to help guide patients and families through this often very frightening and challenging experience.”