Perceptions of Role Transition into Practice among Advanced Practice Providers and Physicians

This study sought to examine the experiences of advanced practice providers (APPs) as an approach to inform the development of formalized programs for transition into practice and to compare APP (N = 122) and physician (N = 84) perceptions of the novice practitioners’ acclimation into a provider role within the first year of practice. Using a cross-sectional survey design, two separate web-based questionnaires were distributed to APPs and physicians. The APPs’ perspectives echoed findings of earlier studies with regard to perceived confidence, feelings of anxiety/fear, and inadequacy. In 16 of 23 paired items, physicians and APPs had similar perspectives about confidence/competence after orientation. Significant differences in their perceptions included amount of physician support, time management, length of time to become a fully functional APP, and independence. Better understanding of the perceptions of APPs and physicians can augment APP preparation for a shifting workforce composition and team-based, interprofessional practice designed to meet the population’s health care needs.