Collaboration of the nurse practitioner and physician in long-term care

Collaboration between nurse practitioners and physicians in providing clinical care is a positive contribution not only for the clinicians involved, but also for health care consumers. The resident in the long-term care environment can benefit particularly when the nurse practitioner enters the setting as a primary care provider with the physician. The history of the term "collaboration" suggests its importance to the evolution of the nurse practitioner role. However, collaboration does not occur automatically among providers; it needs to be learned, consciously approached, and protected. The critical attributes of successful collaboration and impediments to its implementation are discussed.