Army Health Center is Home to President-Elect of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners

HUNTSVILLE, Ala., Oct. 17, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Association of Nurse Practitioners has a newly elected president waiting in the wings to lead the 50,000 strong organization. Dr. Cindy Cooke, DNP, FNP-C, is the president-elect and will take the helm as president in June 2015 at the AANP Annual Conference in New Orleans. She has worked as a family nurse practitioner at the family care clinic at Fox Army Health Center, Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama for over 11 years.

As the wife of a retired Army reservist, she has the unique perspective of both the provider and the recipient of health care in a military facility, along with insight to the challenges and changes of the scope of health care in general. As president of the AANP, Cooke hopes to continue to promote the field of nurse practitioners and its role in healthcare overall.

"My goal is to further advance the role of nurse practitioners. We are a major force in providing health care in this country," she said.

The field of nurse practitioner is on the cusp of celebrating its 50^th Anniversary. According to the AANP, there are roughly 192,000 nurse practitioners in the United States and the organization has a membership of 50,000 located across the country.

A nurse practitioner is certified and state licensed and wears many hats in the scope of medical care. A nurse practitioner must be a nurse first, then pursue education leading to a masters or doctorate degree. Once certified as a nurse practitioner, this medical professional has the capacity to perform medical exams, diagnose and treat acute illness and injuries, provide immunizations, interpret test results, counsel patients, and prescribe medications. They work in military facilities, civilian hospitals and clinics, private practice in rural and urban areas, college campuses, workplace health centers, government agencies, and universities as instructors.

"It is a growing field. There are people in need (of health care) everywhere," Cooke said. "Nurse practitioners are highly qualified to care for patients in our nation and our main goal is to provide high quality healthcare with [the patient's] provider of choice."

A nurse practitioner can work within his or her own practice, but Cooke stresses the collaborative effort needed to ensure the best care for everyone who needs it.

"Healthcare is a team effort. We consult with other healthcare professionals whenever needed," she said.

The AANP works to further educate the public and other health care professionals about the contributions nurse practitioners make to patient care and wellness. Part of the mission of the AANP, and Cooke's focus as president, concerns legislation related to the profession. Currently, 19 states and the District of Columbia allow nurse practitioners to practice patient care to the full extent of their license. However, other states have a varying degree of limitations on their practice limiting a patient's choice of provider and a choice of care options. This difference in state regulations poses a significant challenge in Cooke's eyes.

"It (these limitations can potentially) cause a delay in care, especially in rural areas," she said. "We want to see the patient put first and this is a legislative problem."

The AANP is active on a state and federal level and works to shape healthcare policy. The role of organization's president allows Cooke the opportunity to directly affect the push for changes in healthcare policy.

"The president of AANP provides the leadership to shape the strategic plan of the largest full-service national professional membership organization for NPs of all specialties," said Dr. Angela Golden, immediate past president of AANP.

Cooke contends the role of president comes with a learning curve and is a full-time role. The 2-year term position is decided after a membership election is held. Cooke has been a member of the AANP since 1998.

"I'm excited to be part of the planning," she said in anticipation of her role as president.

This is an initiative that partners the AANP with other healthcare providers to address the needs of military service members. Cooke is involved with this White House initiative and states that the AANP will provide continued support to Joining Forces and help educate nurse practitioners all over the country about how to best deal with the challenging clinical needs of active and retired service members.

The passion for providing the best healthcare options for military personnel through the work of Joining Forces and the belief of the importance of the field of nurse practitioner has been a driving force behind the career satisfaction Cooke experiences.

"It is such a joy to see a patient I've helped," she said. She aims to help patients be active participants in their own care. "Watching patients change their lifestyles to improve their health is very satisfying; I love it when they come back and I can see those changes," she said. Cooke believes nurse practitioners make a difference by "helping one patient at a time, and caring for the whole patient."

The field of nurse practitioner is just one of many healthcare career options for those interested in pursuing careers in the medical field while serving in the U.S. Army as a civilian provider, or on active duty or the Army Reserves. For more information regarding Army healthcare careers, visit healthcare.goarmy.com/h872. 

This release was written by Karri L. Moser.

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20141017/152799

SOURCE U.S. Army Medical Recruiting Brigade

Related Links

http://www.goarmy.com/amedd/nurse.html