Are Nurse Practitioners and Advanced Practice Nurses the Answer to a Physician Shortage?
Michael K. Cooper, DO Nurses have always been an indispensable resource in providing medical care. The expansion of nursing roles has been driven by both a need for primary care providers and advanced educational opportunities for registered nurses. Many nurses are no longer providing nursing care, but are providing primary care. Nurse practitioners (NP’s) and advanced practice nurses (APN’s) are providing more autonomous care and making more independent decisions than ever before. According to the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners, NP’s and APN’s can diagnose and manage most common and many chronic illnesses, either independently or as part of a health care team. Nurse practitioner programs were started in the mid-1960’s in response to a perceived shortage of primary care physicians. Today, about 103,000 nurse practitioners work in the US. Services provided by nurse practitioners include, but in many instances are not limited to, ordering, conducting and interpreting diagnostic
