What Explains Interprovincial Differences in the Uptake of Autonomous NP Primary Care Practice?

Area of Science:

• Healthcare policy
• Nursing workforce development
• Primary care delivery

Background:

• The primary care nurse practitioner (NP) workforce in Canada is evolving.
• Understanding the dynamics of NP integration is crucial for healthcare planning.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine trends in the evolution of the primary care NP workforce in Canada.
• To investigate the correlation between NP availability and patient access to regular providers.

Main Methods:

• Utilized two linear regression models to analyze workforce trends.
• Examined the relationship between NPs per capita and patient provider designation.
• Assessed the correlation between patients without a regular provider and those with an NP.

Main Results:

• A positive correlation exists between the number of NPs per capita and the proportion of patients reporting an NP as their regular provider.
• A strong correlation was found between the proportion of patients lacking a regular provider and those reporting an NP as their regular provider.

Conclusions:

• The findings support the hypothesis that increased NP autonomy is often a response to critical constraints in healthcare access.
• This suggests that NP integration may be driven by necessity rather than proactive policy in some contexts.