Licensed Nurse Practitioner (NP) Bev Uhlenhake gives a physical exam to 8-year-old Hannah Steinbrunner in an office in St. Henry. The role of NPs - who are trained and certified to perform a broader range of duties than registered nurses - has become vital locally and across the country due to shortages of primary care physicians. Pending state legislation would add an NP's ability to prescribe Schedule II narcotics.