Patient Experiences of Primary Care Provided by Nurse Practitioners in New Brunswick, Canada

Abstract In this article, we report on our investigation into how patients experience primary care provided by nurse practitioners (NPs). Data were collected through surveys distributed to patients receiving primary health care from an NP. Patient experience surveys included multiple choice and short answer questions providing descriptive statistics and qualitative data. Patient perceptions clustered into 4 themes: timely access to the NP, patient-centered care and NPs' communication skills, focus on education and prevention, and NPs' knowledge/skills. Patients value patient-centered care grounded in NPs' expertise with a focus on health promotion and self-management strategies, resulting in greater personal control over health.