Research studies on nurse practitioners in ambulatory health care: a review 1980-1985

Research findings from the studies reported in this article can provide health planners with direction for future policy decisions, specifically those related to third party reimbursement for ambulatory services. These findings will also provide administrators who are seeking funding with a handy reference consisting of documented evidence of nurses' achievement of performance expectations in ambulatory settings. The analysis and synthesis of findings from these current studies also suggests directions for future research. The author believes that a 5-year review provides a sufficient base from which to identify trends in the development and growth of ambulatory services for planning and decision making in the decade ahead. This article has provided directions for future research related to the defined thematic structure. The author acknowledges the competitive nature of the NP's role in today's cost-constrained environment, and the concomitant demands to demonstrate efficiency and effectiveness. These qualities can be demonstrated by including cost-effectiveness analysis as an added variable in future studies related to the NP role, management of health problems, and achieved client outcomes.