Full Practice Authority: What does this mean for our patients?
Full Practice Authority
What Does This Mean for our Patients?
By: Mona Williams-Gregory, Ph.D., DNP, APRN
In 1965, the role of the NP was created by Loretta Ford. In this fledgling role, she functioned as a pediatric NP in collaboration with a pediatrician. For several years, the role of the NP remained relatively unchanged and ill-defined with physicians acting in supervisory capacities. In 1971, Idaho was the first state to formally recognize the role and the expansive scope of NPs1. Increasingly since then, the contributions made by NPs have been well documented and are rich in the literature. By 1994, five states had adopted full practice authority for NPs. Since then, full practice authority has been sweeping the US and has been adopted by 26 states, DC, and two US territories1.
What does full practice authority mean for our patients? Head-to-head studies have compared clinical and quality outcomes of patients cared for by NPs with patients cared for by physicians. Patients cared for by NPs have equivalent, positive clinical outcomes when compared to similar patients cared for by physicians2,3,4,5,6. When caring for patients, the clinical safety among NPs is equivalent to that of physicians6. Care provided by an NP has demonstrated improvement in several clinical indicators. Inpatients cared for by NPs have lower mortality rates3. Outpatients cared for by NPs have fewer ED visits5 and fewer hospitalizations2,5. Overall, the care provided by NPs is associated with lower total healthcare expenditures5. Patients cared for by NPs consistently report greater patient satisfaction than when cared for by other health care practitioners6. NPs provide superior education and more counseling than any other healthcare provider4,6. Full practice authority means reduced costs and improved access to quality healthcare services5,7.
References:
Brom, H. M., Salsberry, P. J., & Graham, M. C. (2018). Leveraging health care reform to accelerate nurse practitioner full practice authority. J Am Assoc Nurse Pract, 30(3), 120-130.doi: 1-.1097/JXX.000000000000023
Liu, C-F., Hebert, P. L., Douglas, J. H., Neely, E. L., Sulc, C. A., Reddy, A., Sales, A. E., & Wong, E. S. (2020). Outcomes in primary care delivery by nurse practitioners: Utilization, cost and quality of care. Health Services Research, 55(2),1 78-189. doi: 10.1111/1475-6773.13246
Gupta, S., Balachandran, M., Bolton, G., Pratt, N., Molloy, J., Paul, E., & Tiruvoipati, R. (2021). Comparison of clinical outcomes between nurse practitioner and registrar-led medical emergency teams: a propensity-matched analysis. Critical Care, 25(117). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13054-021-03534-4
Kurtzman, E. T., & Barnow, B. S. (2017). A comparison of nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and primary care physicians’ patterns of practice and quality of care in health centers. Med Care, 55(66), 615-622. doi: 10.1097/MLR.0000000000000689
Morgan. P. A., Smith, V. A., Berkowitz, T, Edelman, D., Van Houtven, C., Woolson, S. L., Hendrix, C. C., Everett, C. M., White, B. S., & Jackson, G. L. (2019). Impact of physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants on utilization and costs for complex patients. Health Affairs, 38(6). https://doi.org/10.1377/hlthaff.2019.00014
Carranza, A. N., Munoz, P., & Nash, A. J. (2020). Comparing quality of care in medical specialties between nurse practitioners and physicians. J Am Assoc Nurse Pract, 33(3), 184-193. doi: 10.1097/JXX.0000000000000394
In December, we celebrated the upcoming holiday season with the heartwarming story of Karen Windle, RNC, MS, WHNP-BC, long-standing NPACE board member …
Full Practice Authority: What does this mean for our patients?
Full Practice Authority
What Does This Mean for our Patients?
By: Mona Williams-Gregory, Ph.D., DNP, APRN
In 1965, the role of the NP was created by Loretta Ford. In this fledgling role, she functioned as a pediatric NP in collaboration with a pediatrician. For several years, the role of the NP remained relatively unchanged and ill-defined with physicians acting in supervisory capacities. In 1971, Idaho was the first state to formally recognize the role and the expansive scope of NPs1. Increasingly since then, the contributions made by NPs have been well documented and are rich in the literature. By 1994, five states had adopted full practice authority for NPs. Since then, full practice authority has been sweeping the US and has been adopted by 26 states, DC, and two US territories1.
What does full practice authority mean for our patients? Head-to-head studies have compared clinical and quality outcomes of patients cared for by NPs with patients cared for by physicians. Patients cared for by NPs have equivalent, positive clinical outcomes when compared to similar patients cared for by physicians2,3,4,5,6. When caring for patients, the clinical safety among NPs is equivalent to that of physicians6. Care provided by an NP has demonstrated improvement in several clinical indicators. Inpatients cared for by NPs have lower mortality rates3. Outpatients cared for by NPs have fewer ED visits5 and fewer hospitalizations2,5. Overall, the care provided by NPs is associated with lower total healthcare expenditures5. Patients cared for by NPs consistently report greater patient satisfaction than when cared for by other health care practitioners6. NPs provide superior education and more counseling than any other healthcare provider4,6. Full practice authority means reduced costs and improved access to quality healthcare services5,7.
References:
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