Describe similarities and differences among the following health care providers: nurse practitioners, certified nurse midwife, and physician assistant

All of these providers provide care in the ambulatory setting. A nurse practitioner is a registered nurse who has had additional training in areas such as family or pediatric care. NPs are often the primary caregivers in settings such as industrial clinics and neighborhood health centers.
Certified nurse midwives (CNMs) often practice in birth and family planning centers.

Physician assistants (PAs) may be seen in settings similar to those employing nurse practitioners. PAs are not nurses but have received training to use independent judgment in treating patients. Non-physicians such as NPs, CNMs, and PAs, whose licenses allow them to exercise a degree of independent judgment under the supervision of a physician, are called mid-level providers (MLPs) or advanced practice clinicians.