The status of nurse practitioners in gastroenterology

The role of the nurse practitioner in the UK is new. It extends the traditional role of the nurse and may help overcome some of the difficulties in communication that have bedevilled clinical practice in recent years. This paper reviews the emergence of nurse practitioners in the USA and considers their status in the UK. The philosophical basis for clinical interventions by nurses is assessed and the training needs and legal consequences explored. The future role of nurses in prescribing drugs is uncertain, but likely to be significant.