Nurse practitioners have become more prominent in the healthcare field in recent years. The United States is currently facing a physician shortage. Because of the shortage, coupled with an increased demand for healthcare services, advanced-practice nurses have helped fill the gap between provider supply and patient demand.
So, why are nurse practitioners so important? Along with helping meet the demand for healthcare services, nurse practitioners have also demonstrated that they provide high-quality care just as physicians do, with a few bonuses. The American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) reports that nurse practitioners help by lowering the overall cost of healthcare, and patients who regularly seek primary care services from an NP have fewer ER visits and shorter hospital stays.
Nurse practitioners approach patient care differently than medical doctors (MDs). While an MD is focused on the disease process and treatment interventions, NPs start off as nurses, which means they approach patient care more holistically. They assess not only the physical aspects of patient care, but also the mental and psychosocial needs as well. In addition to this, they emphasize patient education, often involving the family in the process. Because of the holistic manner in which nurse practitioners approach patient care, they tend to have exceptional patient satisfaction rates.
Patient Satisfaction
One article in Clinical Advisor described a survey by the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality’s Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS), which looked at NP satisfaction rates. The survey included questions about patients’ perception of the clinician’s listening skills and perceived respect. The overall results showed that while both NPs and physicians did well, NPs received an almost perfect score – 9.8 out of 10. Additionally, NP listening skills were superior to MDs, with 80% of NP patients reporting that the nurse practitioner always listened carefully, compared to 50% of physician patients.
However, this was just one study. Other studies, such as one published in the Journal for Nurse Practitioners, show equitable patient satisfaction rates. It’s important to recognize that patient satisfaction is subjective, and there are many variables in a patient’s expectations and perceptions with regards to care.
Patient Outcomes
Patient outcomes are a more objective method of comparing MD and NP practice. The AANP lists a summary of studies performed with information on patient care outcomes (as well as satisfaction). Many of the studies showed comparable patient care outcomes in many measures, such as asthma management and lipid levels. However, one study showed lower diastolic blood pressures for NP patients. Other findings concluded NP patients have fewer hospital visits due to promoting preventive health, and that NPs are less likely to prescribe medications without taking a complete health history. Additionally, nursing home patients under the care of a nurse practitioner were found to be less likely to suffer from falls and pressure ulcers, as well as having improved functional status.
Conclusion
Both physicians and nurse practitioners provide expert care to patients. However, several studies have shown patients under the care of NPs to have either equitable or better patient satisfaction and outcomes. Selecting a healthcare provider is an individualized choice, and recognizing that NPs deliver comparable care to physicians can be a reassurance to patients seeking quality care.