Primary reasons for ED visits and procedures performed for patients who saw nurse practitioners

Little is known, from a national perspective, about what types of patients are seen by nurse practitioners in the emergency department.

Data from 1545 participating emergency departments across the United States during 1997, 1998, 1999, and 2000 were collected from nationally representative samples of urban and rural hospitals using the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Surveys. Results Nurse practitioners saw 5.76 million ED patients during the 4-year period. Using the Reason for Visit Classification developed by the National Center for Health Statistics, the primary category for patients seen by nurse practitioners was classified as "Injury by type and/or location." The types of injuries in this category were lacerations and cuts to an upper extremity and facial area; injuries to the head, neck, and face; and foreign bodies in the eye. The next most common category was classified under "General symptoms." Nurse practitioners saw patients in this category with symptoms of chest pain, side or flank pain, fever, and edema.

The findings from this study provide insight into the types of patient visits seen by nurse practitioners in emergency departments in the United States and the services and procedures that were received by patients.