Examining the effects of nurse practitioners on the quadruple aim

ABSTRACT

Nurse practitioners are registered nurses with additional graduate education and experience.(1; 2) As regulated health professionals, nurse practitioners have a legislated expanded scope of practice that gives them independent authority to assess, diagnose and provide treatment.(3) This broader scope of practice includes diagnosing and treating illness, ordering and interpreting diagnostic tests, prescribing certain drugs, and performing specific medical procedures.(1-4) In this role, evidence has demonstrated that NPs provide equivalent or better patient satisfaction and care than physicians, as well as no difference in quality of care or quality of life.