The Affordable Care Act and America’s aging population have created a growing need for primary care providers, which is virtually impossible to meet without nurse practitioners.
In mid-July, the Association of American Medical Colleges reported that a shortage of 45,000 primary care physicians is projected by the year 2020. Stepping in to fill that void — particularly in urban and rural communities — are nurse practitioners (NPs).
Nurse practitioners are advanced-practice registered nurses with master’s degrees or doctorates. Cited by U.S. News & World Report as among the “best health care jobs,” NPs are “qualified to take patient histories, perform physical exams, order lab [tests], analyze lab results, prescribe medicines, authorize treatments and counsel patients” about health care.
In addition to primary care, NPs may specialize in a particular area.
The scope of practice varies by state, but it is indisputable how vital they are in rural communities. According to the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP), more than 18 percent of NPs practice in communities of fewer than 25,000 residents.
“I started my nursing career really blessed by providing primary health care to women in rural areas of Arizona,” says Dr. Eileen T. Breslin, president of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) and dean of the School of Nursing at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. “We know that we’re more likely to be located in rural areas … than physicians.”
