Marilyn W. Edmunds PhD, NP Ihave a nurse practitioner (NP) colleague who I believe is one of the best role models for implementing this role. She is a family NP and intensely interested in her patients. Her interactions with both patients and their families demonstrate this. She deals with adult patients as, well, adults...both educating and listening to make decisions that are best for the individual. Children are approached at eye level, using age-appropriate language and really listening to what is going on in the child’s life. Adolescents are treated respectfully as she listens to their concerns and understands their problems in the context of the challenges that teenagers face. She wins their trust so she can say the hard things that teenagers sometimes need to hear. She also deals effectively with the problems of the aging patient with a multitude of concurrent problems that require time and patience to prioritize. She also really does all those things you learned in school—takes an extensive relevant history, has excellent physical assessment skills, works through a differential diagnosis, and develops an appropriate treatment plan. She is conscientious, compassionate, extremely competent, and reads voraciously to keep abreast of what is going on in the scientific world that would impact her practice. But more than that, this NP is a walking advertisement every day for what an NP should do. With every patient encounter, she converts families to the idea that NPs give wonderful care. She sees herself as a valuable part of the health care team and feels very comfortable with her role in it. She talks collegially with the physicians in her practice, who both admire and respect her. In short, she is a primary care provider in the fullest sense of the word. As a result of all these factors, her appointment schedule is filled for weeks in advance. Recently my colleague confided to me that, unknown to her, one physician in her practice pointed to her as a model for the other NPs in her practice to follow, specifically noting that her schedule was “booked out as far in advance as the physicians.” It had created a very awkward situation. The other NPs came to her and said, “But we’re not primary care providers—we are just mid-level providers.” This statement is pretty staggering! All master’s-prepared NPs should have the same role potential. How could any NP hide behind an outdated label to excuse their failure to perform? NPs are not midway on some ladder with physicians at the top—NPs and physicians are on two separate ladders. There is a lot of discussion now about the NP role and what education should be required for entry into practice. Do we need a DNP degree? Will the DNP role undermine the quality and reputation of the master’s-prepared NP? The other ongoing battle is with regard to practice model: should NPs be allowed to practice independently by statute, or is some degree of physician oversight necessary? Whatever the answer to both of these questions, it is clear that titles, credentials, and even state law do not dictate practice. Credentials should never be barriers to full implementation of the NP role.