Addressing the primary care workforce: a study of nurse practitioner students' plans after graduation

Primary care is a growing area, and nurse practitioners (NPs) hold promise for meeting the need for additional providers. This article reports on the future plans of more than 300 primary care NP students in family, adult, and adult gerontology programs. The sample was obtained through NP faculty, and data were collected via an online survey. Results indicated that although these students chose primary care, only 48% anticipated working in primary care; 26% planned to practice in rural areas, and 16% planned to work in an inner city. Reasons cited as important for pursuing a primary care position included the long-term patient relationship, faculty and preceptor mentors from the NP program, and clinical experiences as a student. Implications include providing more intensive faculty mentoring to increase the number of individuals seeking primary care positions after graduation and help with future career planning to meet personal career and nursing profession needs.