n pediatrics (History, 2006; Sherwood, Brown, Fay and Wardell, 1997). NPs at that time had advanced education from non-degree certificate programs and were able to identify symptoms and diagnose and manage health problems in pediatric patients.
The NP role was built on the role of the public health nurse to address a shortage of primary care in rural and underserved areas (Sherwood, Brown, Fay and Wardell, 19997). In the mid 1960s, federal funding supported the development of primary care providers, and in 1971, the Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare issued recommendations for primary care interventions for which physicians and nurses could share responsibility, which implied that there was support for nurses as primary care providers. In the early days of the NP, there was differentiation in practice privileges based on geographic location.
In the mid-1970s, federal funding allowed an increase in NP programs and more than 500 certificate programs appeared across the country (Sherwood, Brown, Fay and Wardell, 1997). Programs gradually evolved from the certificate level to a master's degree level, with accrediting agencies more frequently requiring a master's degree for NPs. In 1974, the American Nursing Association published educational guidelines, and implemented a credentialing program in 1976 which still is in force today. This certification is required for practice as an NP in many states. By the 1980s, most programs required a master's degree and by the 1990s, there was an increasing proliferation in NP programs to meet the increasing demand.
The American Nurses Association (ANA) accredits programs directed at the family, adults, gerontology, and pediatrics, (Sherwood, Brown, Fay and Wardell, 1997). The American Academy Of Nurse Practitioners also accredits family and adult programs; Women's Health Care is accredited by the National Certification Corporation for the Gynecological/Obstetrics & Neonatal...