A practitioner is someone who is qualified or registered to practice a particular occupation, profession, or religion.
Nurse practitioners (NPs) have provided health care services to patients for more than 40 years. The nurse practitioner role had its inception in the mid-1960s in response to a nationwide shortage of physicians. Nursing is the largest health care occupation with more than 2 million jobs. Overall, it's one of the 10 occupations projected to have the largest numbers of new jobs. Nurse practitioners are in high demand to provide health promotion, health maintenance and sick care services. Full Definition of PRACTITIONER. 1. : one who practices; especially: one who practices a profession. 2. Christian Science: an authorized healer. See practitioner defined for English-language learners. See practitioner defined for kids. ADVERTISEMENT.  Nurse Practioner Education & Training. A nurse practitioner (NP) is a registered nurse (RN) who has completed advanced education (a minimum of a master's degree) and training in the diagnosis and management of common medical conditions, including chronic illnesses. Nurse practitioners provide a broad range of health care services. The variety of educational paths for NPs is a result of the history of the field. In 1965, the profession of nurse practitioner was instituted and required a master's degree. In the late 1960s into the 1970s, predictions of a physician shortage increased funding and attendance in nurse practitioner programs. prac•ti•tion•er. 1. a person engaged in the practice of a profession or occupation. 2. a person who practices something specified. 3. a person authorized to practice Christian Science healing.  A practitioner is someone who is qualified or registered to practice a particular occupation, profession, or religion. Practitioners who specialise in a particular area may be referred to as a specialist or advanced practitioner. The medical and social care professions use these titles to distinguish the level of qualifications, competency, and training a practitioner undertakes. Practitioner may refer to: prac·ti·tion·er. A person who practices medicine or one of the allied health care professions. /prac·ti·tion·er/ (prak-tish´un-er) one who has met the requirements of and is engaged in the practice of medicine, dentistry, or nursing. multiskilled health practitioner a person who is cross-trained to provide more than one function, often in more than one discipline. The salary of a nurse practitioner depends on the area of specialization, location, years of experience, level of education, and size of company. Currently, the annual average earning for a nurse practitioner in the U.S. is $106,255. Nurse practitioners (NPs) manage acute and chronic medical conditions, both physical and mental, through history and physical exam and the ordering of diagnostic tests and medical treatments. Physician/Practitioner’s Role. If your patient and/or your patient’s caregiver are eligible for State Disability Insurance (SDI) he/she may be covered by one of two benefits: Disability Insurance (DI) or Paid Family Leave (PFL). 
http://www.mayo.edu/mshs/careers/nurse-practitioner http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/practitioner http://www.healthcommunities.com/health-care-providers/what-is-nurse-practitioner.shtml http://www.thefreedictionary.com/practitioner https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Practitioner http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/practitioner https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nurse_practitioner http://www.edd.ca.gov/Disability/Physicians-Practitioners.htm
what is a practitioner