National Governors Association encourages greater NP involvement to meet primary care needs

A recent report The Role of Nurse Practitioners in Meeting Increasing Demand for Primary Care, released December 20, 2012 by the National Governors Association states that “to better meet the nation’s current and growing need for primary care providers, states may want to consider easing their scope of practice restrictions and modifying their reimbursement policies to encourage greater nurse practitioner involvement in the provision of primary care.” 

This significant and extensive literature review by one of Washington D.C.’s most influential public policy organizations, representing the governors of the country’s 55 states, territories and commonwealths, marks a significant advance for the Future of Nursing: Campaign for Action. The review included 22 articles, and the conclusions support the 2010 Institute of Medicine report The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health.  Specifically, the review found:

·         NPs may be able to mitigate projected shortages of primary care services. Existing research suggests that NPs can perform a subset of primary care services as well as or better than physicians.

·         Expanded utilization of NPs has the potential to increase access to health care, particularly in historically underserved areas.

·         NPs were capable of successfully managing chronic conditions in patients suffering from hypertension, diabetes, and obesity.

This report represents an important step for the governor’s association, as we move forward in designing the future of health care delivery it is critical to collaborate and bring the very best ideas to the forefront. Read more here.