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    Realities, scope, challenges, and facilitators for implementation of nurse practitioner’s role in India: A review
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    Abstract:
    India is in dire need of an alternative to general medical practitioners to overcome a severe shortage of doctors, especially in rural and underprivileged regions. Empowering nurses through nurse practitioner (NP) role is the superlative solution to provide quality health care in primary care setting. Based on conceptions and research findings of the NP' s role, we analyzed and examined the realities, scope, and barriers for implementing the NP' s role in India and propose future strategies to create a NP cadre.
    Keywords:
    Scope (computer science)
    Economic shortage
    Superlative
    Scope of Practice
    Scope of Practice
    Scope (computer science)
    Practice nurse
    Citations (17)
    ABSTRACT Background and purpose: Expanding state scope of practice (SOP) for nurse practitioners (NPs) and physician assistants (PAs) can boost productivity and improve access to health care services. Existing analyses on regulatory policies in NP or PA SOP have primarily focused on the direct effects on their own professions but have not fully considered the potential cross-professional effects. This study examines the impact of expanded state SOP for NPs and PAs on primary care utilization by NP, PA, and primary care physician (PCP) in community health centers (CHCs). Methods: We conducted a difference-in-differences approach using the Uniform Data System for 739 CHCs from 2009 to 2015. During our study period, 12 states liberalized NP SOP laws and 14 states changed their PA SOP regulations. The number of visits per full-time equivalent clinician (NP, PA, and PCP) per year was the outcome of interest and was linked to the degree of state SOP restriction for NPs and PAs in a given year. Conclusions: Granting independent practice and prescriptive authority for NPs resulted in statistically significant increases in NP visits, and decreases in both PA and PCP visits, for those CHCs with a high proportion of NPs and PAs along with the increased provision of support staff. PA SOP liberalization had no statistically significant effect on PA visits. Implications for practice: As the NP and PA workforce continues to grow, and as SOP laws continue to be liberalized, it is important to advance evidence on how to most efficiently deploy these staff.
    Scope of Practice
    Physician assistants
    Community Health
    ABSTRACT When nurse practitioners (NPs) work to expand their scope of practice through state legislatures, the opposing lobbying groups are often physician-led organizations. The main argument against NP independence and limited scope of practice is that NP care is inherently inferior to that of physicians. However, more than three decades of research demonstrates quality and cost outcomes to be equal to or better than that of physicians. This article reviews a wide range of evidence documenting NP competency, satisfaction, and safety, as well as the challenges and consequences when limiting NP scope of practice. The evidence is clear and has not changed in over 30 years, NPs provide access to effective primary care in a variety of settings, equal in quality outcomes, safety, and cost-effectiveness compared with physicians.
    Physician assistants
    Objective: Examine availability of physician assistants (PAs) or nurse practitioners (NPs) in primary care physician practices by state and by state PA and NP scope-of-practice laws. Methods: Availability of PAs and NPs in primary care practices was examined in multivariate analysis using a 2012 state-based, nationally representative survey of office-based physicians. Covariates included practice characteristics, state, and in a separate model, PA and NP scope-of-practice variables. Results: After controlling for practice characteristics, higher use of PAs and NPs was found in three states (Minnesota, Montana, and South Dakota). In a separate model, higher use of PAs or NPs was associated with favorable PA scope-of-practice laws, but not with NP scope-of-practice laws. Conclusions: Higher availability of PAs or NPs was associated with favorable PA scope-of-practice laws. Lack of association between PA or NP availability and NP scope-of-practice laws requires further investigation.
    Scope of Practice
    Scope (computer science)
    Statement of work
    Physician assistants
    Nurse practitioners and physician assistants can alleviate some of the primary care shortage facing the United States, but their scope-of-practice is limited by state regulation. This study reports both cross-sectional and longitudinal trends in state scope-of-practice regulations for nurse practitioners and physician assistants over a 10-year period. Regulations from 2001 to 2010 were compiled and described with respect to entry-to-practice standards, physician involvement in treatment/diagnosis, prescriptive authority, and controlled substances. Findings indicate that most states loosened regulations, granting greater autonomy to nurse practitioners and physician assistants, particularly with respect to prescriptive authority and physician involvement in treatment and diagnosis. Many states also increased barriers to entry, requiring high levels of education before entering practice. Knowledge of state trends in nurse practitioner and physician assistant regulation should inform current efforts to standardize scope-of-practice nationally.
    Scope of Practice
    Physician assistants
    Scope (computer science)
    Economic shortage
    Citations (74)
    Scope (computer science)
    Scope of Practice
    Nursing practice