The position of nurse practitioner began in 1965 in the United States, and has made steady progress since that date to where today, state practice laws are in many cases not requiring physician supervision, and some states give nurse practitioners prescriptive authority (Adams, 2002; Roberts, 2002). A review of the literature has shown that collaborative efforts between physicians and nurse practitioners can improve patient care. The use of nurse practitioners has been shown to reduce costs and bring improvements in the quality of patient care in nursing homes, emergency rooms and in surgical settings.
Research studies have shown that patients generally receive the same care from a nurse practitioner as they do from a general practitioner (Roberts, 2002). Roberts (2002) reviewed several studies of nurse practitioners treating diabetes patients. Although one study showed that 78 patients cared for by six nurse practitioners did not receive the minimum care outlined by the American Diabetes Association, neither did those seen by doctors. Another study showed that patients were just as happy to be treated by a nurse practitioner as by a doctor, and that their AIC values were similar whoever treated them. A third study which looked at diabetes patient care by nurses certified as diabetes educators found they had better AIC values than those treated by doctors and also lower fasting glucose levels. These studies show that nursing practitioners can provide as good, if not better, treatment for diabetic patients as doctors, and that patient acceptance of nurse practitioners is not a problem.
Gibbs (2001) suggested that nurse practitioners need to educate the consumer about the benefits of seeing a nurse practitioner. Nurse practitioners have been found to be better than doctors in teaching patients about their illnesses, medications, treatment and prevention strategies. They are often able to make better communication with...