Family nurse practitioners: perceived competencies and recommendations

Responses to a mail questionnaire returned by 327 family nurse practitioners throughout the United States provided data for this study. Categories of health problems respondents encountered, from highest to lowest mean frequency, were: cardiovascular and respiratory; neurologic/musculoskeletal; eye, ear, nose, and throat; emergencies; mental health; miscellaneous; gastroenterology; allergy and dermatology; obstetrics and gynecology; genitourinary; endocrine; oncology. Respondents, as a group, judged themselves moderately competent to handle problems they encountered. That is, to the question. "What overall percentage of patient needs and problems you encounter do you estimate you are able to handle without further referral or consultation?," the mean response was 66 percent. Discussion centers on where in the nursing education process family nurse practitioner competencies should be taught.