Nurse practitioners almost as qualified as doctors I am writing in regard to the July 24 Brick Bulletin article "Walkin clinic to help shave health care costs." I would first like to state that I have supported Mayor Acropolis in the past and always will in the future, but I feel from the comments that he made in the article that he is not fully aware of the medical status of nurse practitioners. A s a proud parent of a recent family practice nurse practitioner graduate and knowing the years of medical training, academic courses, stringent qualifications and certifications required by the states of New York and New Jersey, nurse practitioners are qualified to do much more than 80 percent of what an M.D. does. I have all the respect for school nurses, but the mayor should not put them both in the same medical providing arena. I feel the mayor should clarify the comments that he made in the Brick Bulletin. All the dedicated nurse practitioners in the United States would appreciate it. Carole Riccardi Brick