Psychological characteristics of the nurse practitioner

First, present research on the selection and characteristics of practitioners is both controversial and important. We need good answers to be helpful to those planning directions for the future of nursing. Second, we need good descriptive research indicating how applicants for different types of programs vary; how age, experience, and background factors affect the outcome of training. Third, we need multi-criteria for measuring success and effectiveness-criteria that will take into account both competence and commitment and will measure competence in a variety of ways. Fourth, we need more theory for what we are measuring and why we are measuring it. We need predictions from different personality and developmental theories. We need to contrast and combine these theoretical approaches, and we need more complex variables than we currently have. We need constructs and types rather than simple empiricism and single traits. Finally, we should not overlook the fact that the majority of nurse practitioners are women, and thus we are doing research on an interesting group at a significant time in women's history. If we are alert and responsive to what we learn about our subjects, we may also gain a deeper understanding of the lives of adult women and how they are affected by social change and changing times.