Nurse Practitioner Research Paper
Research Paper: Should Hospitals Give More Independence to Nurse Practitioners?
“Stethoscope draped around her neck, [Sharon Poncher] looks and sounds like a doctor. But Poncher is a nurse practitioner, which means she has undergone an advanced level of training allowing her to diagnose, treat and prescribe medications” (Thompson). The role of the nurse practitioner is a highly debatable within the health industry, met with great encouragement and heated opposition. The profession was first introduced in the 1960’s in response to the projected physician shortages. It changed from an assistant role to one that mirrors a physician. In fact, there are few differences between the professions. Like physicians, NPs diagnose and treat numerous health …show more content…
The United States has a current population of three-hundred-million people with an average of 10,829 births per day (Bauer). As a result of this, hospitals do not have enough physicians to manage patient care. This is concerning because by 2020, it is predicted that the U.S will be short of more than 45,000 primary care physicians (AAMC). The shortage of physicians is an ongoing worry for hospitals because it would disadvantage and inconvenience patients. For example, physician shortages could lead to longer waiting times for appointments and/or emergency room treatments. It is important to remember, that NPs graduate earlier than physicians with an average of four to six years (Thompson). Because of this, the profession is quickly growing in the workforce. According to a study, “In the past 10 years, the number of license NPs has almost doubled 205,000…the number of certified Pas grew from about 43,500 to more than 102,000” (Schneider). If NPs were to gain more independence in NP regulating.“With the rise of NPs, it would fill the gaps in areas where physicians are needed... “Nurse practitioners care for people in nursing homes, homeless and clinics for the elderly, Family Planning clinics and through home visits, she said. They are employed in hospitals, schools, industries, health care agencies, and public health departments.” (Dignam). “With more medical staff at hand, it would give more attention to patients. Such as shorter waiting times for appointments and faster emergency room treatments. It would also help solve ---America’s population is projected to increase over the years out pacing the supply of physicians. Giving more
“Stethoscope draped around her neck, [Sharon Poncher] looks and sounds like a doctor. But Poncher is a nurse practitioner, which means she has undergone an advanced level of training allowing her to diagnose, treat and prescribe medications” (Thompson). The role of the nurse practitioner is a highly debatable within the health industry, met with great encouragement and heated opposition. The profession was first introduced in the 1960’s in response to the projected physician shortages. It changed from an assistant role to one that mirrors a physician. In fact, there are few differences between the professions. Like physicians, NPs diagnose and treat numerous health …show more content…
The United States has a current population of three-hundred-million people with an average of 10,829 births per day (Bauer). As a result of this, hospitals do not have enough physicians to manage patient care. This is concerning because by 2020, it is predicted that the U.S will be short of more than 45,000 primary care physicians (AAMC). The shortage of physicians is an ongoing worry for hospitals because it would disadvantage and inconvenience patients. For example, physician shortages could lead to longer waiting times for appointments and/or emergency room treatments. It is important to remember, that NPs graduate earlier than physicians with an average of four to six years (Thompson). Because of this, the profession is quickly growing in the workforce. According to a study, “In the past 10 years, the number of license NPs has almost doubled 205,000…the number of certified Pas grew from about 43,500 to more than 102,000” (Schneider). If NPs were to gain more independence in NP regulating.“With the rise of NPs, it would fill the gaps in areas where physicians are needed... “Nurse practitioners care for people in nursing homes, homeless and clinics for the elderly, Family Planning clinics and through home visits, she said. They are employed in hospitals, schools, industries, health care agencies, and public health departments.” (Dignam). “With more medical staff at hand, it would give more attention to patients. Such as shorter waiting times for appointments and faster emergency room treatments. It would also help solve ---America’s population is projected to increase over the years out pacing the supply of physicians. Giving more