Nurse Practitioner Cystoscopy: A Review of the Literature and Implications for Practice

Bladder cancer is one of the most common and most expensive malignancies worldwide, requiring periodic cystoscopy in most cases. Access to urologists within the United States is impaired by decreasing number of physicians in this specialty. Nurse-led cystoscopy services have been established in the United Kingdom and Australia and found to provide equivalent services while improving patient satisfaction and access to care. Nurse practitioner cystoscopy should be evaluated as a potential method to improve patient access to specialized urologic care in the United States. This article will review the literature on nurse practitioner cystoscopy and the legal and ethical implications of this practice.