Trends in the Supply and Practice Environment of Nurse Practitioners in New Mexico

This study examines the practice environment for nurse practitioners (NPs) in New Mexico and assesses whether the future supply of NPs will be adequate to meet the health care needs of a varied population in a sparsely populated state with a relatively low average standard of living, yet one that offers a broad scope of practice authority for its NPs. The study's models forecast decreasing numbers of New Mexico NPs between the ages of 40 and 60 in the state's metropolitan counties. These decreases are not offset by gains in other age brackets. Thus, over time, the state's metro areas may not maintain their 2013 NP-to-insured and NP-to-senior population ratios. In contrast, the study's models forecast improving ratios in nonmetropolitan counties. The future need for NPs in New Mexico and similarly situated states may therefore be greatest in fast-growing urban areas, where the number of newly insured individuals with primary care needs is likely to be high.