Exploring the Relationship between Nurse Practitioner Full Practice Authority, Nurse Practitioner Workforce Diversity, and Disparate Primary Care Access

Abstract

In this study, we examine how full nurse practitioner (NP) practice authority affects racial and ethnic diversity of the NP workforce. Specifically, the purpose of our research is to understand the relationship between the racial and ethnic composition of the NP workforce, NP level of practice authority, and the communities they service. In this paper, we compare the ethnic and racial composition of the NP workforce to the composition of the state's population, and then observe if there are any noticeable differences in the patients served by NPs when we compare full practice authority (FPA) and non-FPA states. We also estimate how FPA affects the race and ethnicity of Medicare patients served by NPs.

Increasing Diversity in the Advanced Practice Nursing Workforce Through Partnerships With Historically Black Colleges

“…Black NPs account for only 7% of the NP workforce, whereas Black Americans comprise 13.6% of the population 11. Therefore, a focus on expanding the diversity of the NP workforce to address the current gap in workforce diversity3,10,12 and enhance health equity is critical.…”