Appreciation of the nurse's central helping role in the healthcare system has led to an extension of the nursing role. A new category of health professional, commonly called the "physician extender," has emerged and is growing rapidly. Physician extenders come in two varieties -- nurse practitioners and physician's assistants. Each has different training and credentialing, but both play the same role: to augment the present system. Extra training for physician extenders allows increased competence. Physician extenders can have huge value in making medical help more readily available to patients, particularly in geriatric medicine. Check out whether the healthcare system or doctor's office you select contains physician extenders on its staff.