Nurse practitioner
NURS prak-TISH-uh-nuh /ˈnɜːs prækˈtɪʃənə/
Neutral Neutral
What it really means
A highly trained nurse who can assess, diagnose and prescribe for many conditions. Surgeries often book you with a nurse practitioner instead of a GP for minor illness — this is normal and not a lesser service.
Chinese explanation
高级执业护士：受过高级培训、可对多种病症进行评估、诊断并开药的护士。小病时诊所常安排你看高级执业护士而不是GP——这很正常，并非降低服务标准。
Example conversation
A: They've booked me with the nurse practitioner, not the doctor.
B: That's fine — she can diagnose and prescribe for things like infections.
A：他们给我约的是高级执业护士，不是医生。
B：没问题——像感染这类问题她可以诊断也可以开药。
Official sources
Rules and amounts change — confirm important details with the official source.
Go deeper
All Healthcare & NHS
Reviewed by the UK Decoded editorial team
· Last checked 24 July 2026 · Report a mistake