Nurse Practitioners Are In.
That’s the discussion over at the Knowledge@Warton blog (always well written by the way). We know that NPs are on the move…
Despite continuing protests from some physician groups, the role of nurse practitioners (NPs) in U.S. health care is expanding and will likely change both the costs and type of care experienced by millions of Americans.
“Doctors have always been wary of others poaching on their turf,” says Lawton R. Burns, Wharton professor of health care management. “And highly trained nurses are always looking for more recognition, responsibility and autonomy rather than being under a physician’s thumb. It’s these types of dynamics that pose a challenge to health care reform.”
We know that there is support for NPs to practice to the extent of their education:
The move to expand nurse practitioners’ authority has its supporters as well, ranging from the AARP to the American College of Physicians to the Institute of Medicine. In addition, “There are literally hundreds of studies showing that the care offered by NPs is comparable — and in some cases, better, in terms of patient satisfaction — than the care offered by doctors,” says Aiken. “In other outcomes, like teaching patients how to take care of themselves, NPs do better as well.”
And about the physician who prefers an experienced NP, here’s the full quote:
The experience level of health care practitioners is a relevant issue in this debate, says David Asch, a physician, Wharton health care management professor and former executive director of the Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics. “The value of education attenuates very rapidly. I will take a very experienced NP over an inexperienced doctor any day because so much of what people learn that will be of particular use comes after they have completed their degree program…. There is some optimal point of experience that is somewhere between right out of training and ready to retire.”
There’s more to read, so be sure you head over and read the full article Nurse Practitioners Are In — and Why You May Be Seeing More of Them