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The first nurse practitioner (NP) program began in 1965 at the University of Colorado in response to a shortage of primary care providers (PCPs) after Medicaid expanded its coverage. Almost 60 years later, the United States again faces a growing shortage of PCPs. A 2018 UnitedHealth report estimated there were 44 million Americans living in a county with inadequate access to primary care. According to the report, that number could be slashed by 70 percent by doing one thing: allowing NPs to practice to the full extent of their education, training and certification.

Currently, 26 states plus Washington, D.C., allow NPs full practice authority (FPA), meaning NPs can practice without a supervising physician. The remaining states, including North Carolina, have been fighting for full practice authority for decades.

“It doesn’t make any sense,” said , dean, ɫ�ش�ý, vice chancellor, nursing affairs, ɫ�ش�ý University. “The scientific evidence highlighting the strength of NP clinical care outcomes is clear—NPs provide high quality health care that is patient centered and achieves equal and in some cases, better health outcomes than their physician counterparts. We need every single health care provider to practice at the highest level of their education, license and competencies.”

Through education, practice and policy, ɫ�ش�ý (DUSON) continues to be a national leader in the training of highly skilled advanced practice nurses. Moreover, this month, DUSON joins the country in celebrating Nurse Practitioner Week Nov. 13-19 to raise awareness of the critical role advanced practice nurses play in meeting the health care needs of our nation.

In the Classroom

“The beauty of nurse practitioners is that we’re educating licensed and practicing nursing professionals,” said , assistant dean of the Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) program. Advanced practice nursing students have already completed a degree in nursing, so their education goes deeper, and their scope widens. Master’s students often have years of experience working on interprofessional teams and caring for patients. This sets NPs apart from many other types of health care providers who might not have any health care experience when they start their education. “So they understand history-taking skills, cultural competency issues, family needs and patient-centered care,” Derouin said.

This unique foundation allows advanced nursing students to hone their specialties. Depending on what area of expertise they choose, they complete at least five more semesters of schooling. While the majority of NPs become family practitioners, many choose specialties such as pediatric care, HIV and sexual health, gerontology, psychiatry and addiction and adult health.

As the top nursing school for many of these NP specialties, DUSON already uses cutting-edge teaching techniques such as simulation, interprofessional collaboration, standardized patients and hands-on skills in the clinical setting, Derouin said. Educators continue to use these tools as they shift to the new competency-based approach as outlined in The Essentials, a road map for nursing school curriculum created by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN).

The competency approach allows nursing students to progress at the rate they master required skills, which means NPs can hit the ground running, with less time for on-boarding and training, Derouin said. “We envision nurse practitioners as the hub of the health care delivery team.” Partnering with interprofessional health care providers including, physicians, PAs, social workers, community health workers, etc. to meet patient needs, NPs often have the closest relationship with the patient and are in tune with their personal and medical needs, which often results in a better health outcome. “Nurse practitioners will be the glue that holds the health system together and keeps our patients returning for ongoing care.”

In the Clinic