Should Primary Care Nurse Practitioners be Permitted to Work in Acute Care Settings?

The National Council of State Boards of Nursing suggests NPs ask themselves the question, “Does my training/experience match the scope of practice required to practice?” The National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties states that licensure and practice are based on the NP’s education program, not the pre-licensure education or experience. Comments or suggestions for future columns should be sent to Department Editor Donald Gardenier at jnppcpeditor@gmail.com Cynthia Edwards-Tuttle Cynthia Edwards-Tuttle, MBA, MSN, FNP-BC, FAANP, is vice president for advanced practice providers for the ProMedica Health System in Toledo, OH. Teams that include NPs help to fill workforce gaps and improve outcomes, resulting in shorter lengths of stay, fewer delays and duplication of orders, improved diagnostic testing, more timely consults, and swifter implementation of patient care. Acute care settings have recognized the benefits of high-quality, cost-effective care using a team-based approach to manage the patient’s experience during their hospitalization. If board-certified family medicine physicians are qualified to provide care in the acute care setting so should board-certified family NPs.