The Nurse Practitioner's Role in the Management of Rheumatoid Arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a devastating illness that can have lifelong and potentially disabling consequences. Because the disease affects 1.29 million Americans, nurse practitioners (NPs) can expect to encounter a patient who suffers from this disease sometime during their career. Early diagnosis is crucial. The purpose of this article is to provide NPs an understanding of the clinical presentation and diagnosis, treatment options, and follow-up required for RA patients. With the current shortage of specialists to provide care to these patients, there will be increasing opportunities for NPs to partner with other health care providers to manage this patient population.