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A comparative analysis of nurse practitioners with and without prescriptive authority.
Journal of the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners
|April 1, 1992
Summary
Nurse practitioners (NPs) with prescribing authority in 1986 had more experience and were more likely to practice in rural areas. Granting NPs prescriptive authority may support practice in underserved locations.
Area of Science:
- Healthcare Policy
- Nursing Practice
- Primary Care Medicine
Background:
- Nurse practitioners (NPs) play a vital role in primary care.
- Understanding factors influencing NP practice patterns is crucial for healthcare delivery.
- Prescriptive authority is a key aspect of NP practice.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the demographic and practice characteristics of nurse practitioners in adult primary care.
- To identify factors associated with prescriptive authority among nurse practitioners.
- To explore the implications of prescriptive authority for NP practice in underserved areas.
Main Methods:
- A national random sample of actively practicing adult primary care nurse practitioners in 1986 was surveyed.
- Demographic and practice characteristics were analyzed.
- Statistical associations between characteristics and prescribing status were examined.
Main Results:
- Nurse practitioners with prescriptive authority reported more years of experience compared to those without.
- NPs with prescribing authority were more likely to practice in rural or suburban settings.
- NPs with prescriptive authority were more frequently found in non-group practice settings.
Conclusions:
- Prescriptive authority is associated with increased NP experience and practice in non-urban settings.
- Granting nurse practitioners prescriptive authority may facilitate their practice in medically underserved locations.
- Policy supporting NP prescriptive authority can enhance healthcare access in diverse geographic areas.