The debate over the role of Nurse Practitioners in Primary Care

Advocates for nurse practitioners say that primary care nurses can help make up for the shortage of primary care physicians and help to keep costs down.  

USA Today reports that many states are seeing measures proposed that increase the capabilities of nurse practitioners, in some cases eliminating a level of supervision from physicians. Some physician groups oppose these measures citing a report by the American Medical Association critical of the training that nurse practitioners receive.

(Sources: The Advisory Board Daily Briefing, http://advisory.com, March 15, 2010; USA Today, http://usatoday.com, March 12, 2010)