Preparing the Next Generation of Nurse Practitioners
Preparing the Next Generation of Nurse Practitioners
To meet the health care needs of the nation, a growing, vibrant NP workforce is needed. The Affordable Care Act, although contested on numerous occasions, is expected to provide health care for an additional 34 million people who are currently lacking coverage. An influx of NPs is needed to meet this growing need. The Institute of Medicine Future of Nursing report has called for eliminating scope of practice restrictions on NPs in all states to increase access to care and provide needed primary care services. This will allow NPs to provide a broader range of services without restrictions on practice. However, the challenge of having an adequate supply of NPs remains.
Currently, all NP educational programs are delivered at the graduate level. Curricula focus on the management of health and illness, the NP-patient relationship, teaching and coaching of patients, managing and negotiating health care delivery systems, cultural sensitivity, and quality of care. To create a qualified practitioner able to meet the health needs of a diverse group of patients, all NP programs require a dynamic blend of classroom and clinical education.
NP educational programs require a sufficient network of NP faculty and clinical sites for students. Unfortunately, recruiting nurse faculty can be quite difficult. In 2011, US nursing schools turned away 75,587 qualified applicants from baccalaureate and graduate programs because of an inadequate supply of faculty, clinical or class sites, preceptors, or financial resources required to accommodate additional students. Two thirds of schools that turned away qualified applicants cited faculty shortage as rationale for not accepting students. Positions requiring doctoral preparation were the most difficult to fill (32.9%). Inability to compete with salaries offered in the practice arena (27.6%) was the second most likely rationale for faculty vacancy positions.
To prepare NPs to meet the primary care needs of the populace, NP faculty must be able to present evidence-based knowledge on health care conditions and simultaneously translate that knowledge into clinical practice. Algorithms for care are not sufficient. Care must be individualized into a format that is acceptable to each client in order for patients to succeed. This requires more than contemporary knowledge of a health condition; understanding patient and health system context is essential. As such, NP programs are best served by filling NP faculty positions with practicing NPs. However, the demands of both roles are frequently at odds.
Issues Affecting NP Preparation
To meet the health care needs of the nation, a growing, vibrant NP workforce is needed. The Affordable Care Act, although contested on numerous occasions, is expected to provide health care for an additional 34 million people who are currently lacking coverage. An influx of NPs is needed to meet this growing need. The Institute of Medicine Future of Nursing report has called for eliminating scope of practice restrictions on NPs in all states to increase access to care and provide needed primary care services. This will allow NPs to provide a broader range of services without restrictions on practice. However, the challenge of having an adequate supply of NPs remains.
Currently, all NP educational programs are delivered at the graduate level. Curricula focus on the management of health and illness, the NP-patient relationship, teaching and coaching of patients, managing and negotiating health care delivery systems, cultural sensitivity, and quality of care. To create a qualified practitioner able to meet the health needs of a diverse group of patients, all NP programs require a dynamic blend of classroom and clinical education.
NP educational programs require a sufficient network of NP faculty and clinical sites for students. Unfortunately, recruiting nurse faculty can be quite difficult. In 2011, US nursing schools turned away 75,587 qualified applicants from baccalaureate and graduate programs because of an inadequate supply of faculty, clinical or class sites, preceptors, or financial resources required to accommodate additional students. Two thirds of schools that turned away qualified applicants cited faculty shortage as rationale for not accepting students. Positions requiring doctoral preparation were the most difficult to fill (32.9%). Inability to compete with salaries offered in the practice arena (27.6%) was the second most likely rationale for faculty vacancy positions.
To prepare NPs to meet the primary care needs of the populace, NP faculty must be able to present evidence-based knowledge on health care conditions and simultaneously translate that knowledge into clinical practice. Algorithms for care are not sufficient. Care must be individualized into a format that is acceptable to each client in order for patients to succeed. This requires more than contemporary knowledge of a health condition; understanding patient and health system context is essential. As such, NP programs are best served by filling NP faculty positions with practicing NPs. However, the demands of both roles are frequently at odds.
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