A survey of nurse associate training programs

A survey of nurse associate training programs in the United States and its territories was made in 1972. Data were obtained by questionnaires mailed to program directors, with mail and telephone followup, for 60 operating programs and 9 programs being planned. The response rate was 79 percent of an estimated 87 programs in existence. The survey data indicated that the "typical" nurse associate training program lasts 4 to 6 months, began instruction in 1971, and is sponsored solely by a university or a 4-year college. The most frequently mentioned sources of financial support are the sponsoring institutions or the National Institutes of Health, or both. The typical program receives about 24 trainee applications a year and can accommodate 16 new students annually; 12 students graduate each year at a cost of about $3,536 per graduate. Most students in nurse associate training are white women who have either a diploma or bachelor's nursing degree. In addition to a substantial amount of nursing experience, they are likely to have a guarantee of employment on graduation. Nurse associates are expected to exercise a significant amount of independent judgment in tasks performed, and they are likely to work with primary care physicians in a wide range of settings, including rural and remote areas. They are likely to perform a variety of tasks and activities, including giving physical examinations, ordering tests and medications (under standing order), instructing, counseling, and monitoring patients, and management of disease.