| Learning Objective #1: Describe current NP preparation and practice characteristics | |||
| Learning Objective #2: Compare current findings with those of 1989 and 1999 |
The American Academy of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) has conducted extensive studies of NPs over its 20-year history. A survey to measure NP educational, practice, employment, prescribing, and other patterns was conducted in 1989 and replicated in 1999/2004. Each iteration of this survey has included the largest survey of NPs to date.
For the 2004 NP Sample Survey, 23,850 practicing NPs were randomly selected from AANP's National NP Database. The sample was stratified to reflect population's specialty distribution, with slight oversampling of smaller specialties. The survey could be completed on-line or by mail and had a 69% response. The questionnaire collected over 100 data elements on a wide range of variables descriptive of contemporary NP practice and consistent with the previous two surveys.
Based on the three surveys, trends are reported and projections for the future of NP practice discussed. Differences/trends in practice by specialty, education, and setting over this 15-year period will be identified and put into perspective based on the growing population.
For instance, over this period the percentage of NPs working in the least populous frontier areas and most populous cities decreased with a shift to more moderate-sized communities. The percentage with graduate education has increased from 65.6% to 88.5%. The distribution across practice settings has shifted. Compared to 1989, an increased percentage now work in the following settings: private NP or MD practices (from 16.9% to 37.6%) in inpatient settings (3.3% to 8.9%), hospital outpatient clinics (6.8% to 13.2%. The percentage working in the following settings decreased over this 15-year period: HMO/managed care settings (8.8% to 3.3%), public health (11.9% to 3%), school/college health (11.6% to 5%).