Nurse Practitioners as Primary Care Providers Within the VA

Abstract

We examined the perceptions of nurse practitioners (NPs) and physicians regarding NPs' roles as primary care providers within the Department of Veterans Affairs, thus suggesting possible reasons for the variation of NPs use. NPs and physicians from 7 Veterans Affairs hospitals were surveyed regarding perceptions and concerns about NPs' responsibilities. Quality of care was verified through outpatient services, laboratory results, and medications prescribed for 104,226 hypertensive or diabetic patients. Clinical findings suggest primary care for diabetic and hypertensive patients was comparable. Survey findings suggest physicians tended to underestimate what NPs do on their own for acute patients. Both groups expressed some concerns about expectations for NPs. To successfully integrate NPs into the primary care environment, health systems need to pay increased attention to differences in role perceptions among primary care providers.