Abstract
ABSTRACT: Nurse practitioners have played a pivotal role in both advances in patient care and healthcare policy over the last 40 years. As the healthcare environment continues to change, so too does the role of the nurse practitioner. Nurse practitioners are becoming the norm instead of the exception in the critical care setting and, more recently, have been welcomed as valuable members to trauma teams around the country. As the role continues to evolve and grow, the growing pains will multiply. This article will discuss one nurse's experience of being the new nurse practitioner in a new role and the challenges, both positive and negative, that have grown out of that experience.