NAPNAP ANNOUNCES
NAPNAP ANNOUNCES PERSPECTIVE ON RETAIL-BASED HEALTH CLINICS
Nurse Practitioners say some services may be appropriate. Finding a provider
for overall health is key.
CHERRY HILL, NJ - While encouraging parents to have a consistent 'pediatric
health care home' for their children, the National Association of Pediatric
Nurse Practitioners (NAPNAP), today announced its perspective on retail based
health clinics in department stores, pharmacies and other places that consumers
shop, announced NAPNAP President Patricia Clinton, PhD, RN, CPNP, FAANP.
NAPNAP acknowledged a role for these clinics in children's health care, but
identified several recommendations about how retail based clinics can best be
used and what parents must consider before selecting them for their
children's health care needs.
The perspective, posted online at www.napnap.org, speaks to 'ensuring
quality healthcare services that are accessible, affordable, consistent, and
convenient for both consumers and healthcare providers.' NAPNAP maintains
that pediatric health care is best provided by pediatric nurse practitioners
(PNPs) and pediatricians through a consistent health care site that allows for
monitoring and treatment, but also recognizes
Retail Health that the diagnosis and treatment of acute health problems in a
retail environment by nurse practitioners is a growing model because consumers
demand accessible, more convenient, and affordable health care. NAPNAP has been
monitoring this trend and offers some advice to both retailers, and parents,
about retail based health care. 'We want to ensure healthcare in the retail
environment is provided with the best interest of children and families in mind,
' Clinton said. 'If care is to be provided to children in these environments, we strongly
urge clinic owners to employ pediatric nurse practitioners to provide those services to
children.'
NAPNAP lists 10 recommendations for retailers in its perspective statement
and four suggestions for parents, grandparents, and others who are parenting
children. Among the recommendations for retail-based health clinics is to
promote continuity of pediatric health care through a pediatric health care
home where pediatric nurse practitioners and pediatricians will monitor growth
and development, provide comprehensive immunizations, address parenting issues,
behavior concerns, chronic conditions and episodic acute illnesses; and
limiting services to children older than two years old and develop mechanisms
to encourage families with children less than two years of age to access
appropriate care. Among recommendations for parents, identification of a
community-based primary health care provider for their children is key; others
include informing their primary pediatric health care provider during follow-up
and/or routine visits about their use of a retail-based health clinic.
The National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners (NAPNAP) is committed
to improving the health care of infants, children, adolescents and young
adults. An association of nearly 7,000 health care providers throughout the
United States, NAPNAP is the only advanced practice registered nursing
organization in the world focused on pediatric health and has 48 Chapters in 31
states. For more information, call 856/857-9700 or visit NAPNAP's Website at