Rural health care consumers' perceptions of the nurse practitioner role

In a large-scale survey of rural consumers (n = 3,056), respondents were asked whether they would allow a nurse practitioner to perform each of 12 functions. The results indicate general acceptance of a broadly defined role for the nurse practitioner. Only two functions were not acceptable to a majority of the respondents. A factor analysis revealed two relatively weak factors, which were labeled nontraditional and traditional. Scores on a nurse practitioner acceptance scale, constructed from the 12 functions, were analyzed using analysis of variance and multiple regression. Acceptance of a nurse practitioner was greatest among respondents who are relatively young, male, whose income is relatively low, who are dissatisfied with the explanation of diagnosis and treatment they receive at their usual source of health care, and who are generally dissatisfied with their usual source of health care. None of these relationships, however, is strong.