Which type of care does a nurse practitioner (NP) engage in?

Nurse practitioners (NPs) primarily engage in outpatient diagnosis and treatment, which makes this the correct choice. In their role, NPs focus on providing comprehensive care that includes conducting health assessments, diagnosing and treating various health conditions, managing chronic diseases, and providing preventive care to patients in an outpatient setting. This allows them to build long-term relationships with patients and offer continuity of care.

While NPs can also work in hospital settings, the focus of their typical practice is more aligned with outpatient services. NPs are trained to manage a wide range of health issues and often work in clinics, private practices, and community health centers where patients come for scheduled visits rather than being admitted for hospitalization.

Although NPs can provide care in emergency room services and inpatient critical care environments, those settings tend to be more limited in terms of their role compared to the extensive scope of practice that outpatient care offers. Thus, the outpatient diagnosis and treatment role is central to the NP's practice and captures the essence of what they do most routinely.