Advanced Practice Providers
Our team of Advanced Practice Providers is comprised of compassionate Nurse Practitioners (NP) and Physician Assistants (PA) who work closely with our oncologists. Both NPs and PAs have advanced training in diagnosing and treating patients and can administer exams, order tests, interpret diagnostics and write prescriptions.
 Colleen BartholomewDNP, APRN, FNP-C |
 Angela ClabornMSN, APRN-NP Read Bio |
 Kari CunninghamMSN, APRN-NP Read Bio |
 Tiffany FelderAPRN-NP Read Bio |
 Sharron ForsbergMSN, APRN-NP Read Bio |
 Danielle GeigerMSN, APRN-NP, AOCNP Read Bio |
 Megan GroteMSN, APRN-NP Read Bio |
 Jessica JohnsonMSN, APRN-NP Read Bio |
 Jami Kezeor APRN Read Bio |
 Lesley KlugMSN, APRN-NP Read Bio |
 Rachel KraniewskiDNP, APRN-NP Read Bio |
 Hayley PhillipsFNP Read Bio |
 Margaret RebensdorfMSN, APRN-NP Read Bio |
 Debra ReegMSN, APRN-NP Read Bio |
 Katie RuchMSN, APRN-NP, AOCNP Read Bio |
 Megan SchrinerPA-C Read Bio |
 Sara SchuttDNP, APRN Read Bio |
 Sheri ShannonMSN, APRN-NP, AOCNP Read Bio |
 Tim ShewPA-C Read Bio |
 Katie SmithPA-C Read Bio |
ADVANCED PRACTICE PROVIDERS FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
- What is the difference between a Nurse Practitioner and a Physician Assistant?
- How are Nurse Practitioners and Physician Assistants Trained?
- How is the Nurse Practitioner and Physician Assistant profession regulated?
- NP and PA Care Includes
A Nurse Practitioner (NP) is a Registered Nurse (RN) with academic and clinical education at the graduate level. An advanced degree in nursing along with specialty education enables the NP to diagnose and manage many common illnesses, both acute and chronic. A Physician Assistant (PA) is a healthcare professional licensed to practice medicine with physician supervision. Both NPs and PAs at Nebraska Cancer Specialists provide care as part of your physician team lead by a medical oncologist.
A graduate-level training program is required for a Nurse Practitioner. In order to begin this training, a nurse must have a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing and be licensed to practice as a Registered Nurse (RN). Also required is a Board Certification. NPs may seek additional certification in a specialty such as oncology. Physician Assistants are educated in the medical model designed to complete physician training. Upon completion of training, physician assistants are eligible to sit for the national certification exam. A “PA-C” is a nationally certified physician assistant who is required to complete annual continuing medical education requirements and must pass a recertification exam every six years to maintain the credential. Specialty postgraduate training is available for physician assistants, but this is optional.
Nurse practitioners are licensed in their state and are certified by the national nursing organization in a specialty area. Nurse Practitioners must meet mandatory continuing education requirements to maintain their licenses, as well as meet the requirements to maintain their national certification. PAs are certified by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (PCCPA) and are regulated by the State Medical Boards specific to their state of practice. Both NPs and PAs must have verification of their qualifications and clinical competencies and skills in order to practice.
- Seeing patients for initial consultations, treatment, follow-up and survivorship visits
- Ordering and interpreting labs, scans, and other tests
- Writing prescriptions and counseling on symptom management
- Performing medical procedures