ABSTRACT
The term ‘nurse practitioner’ was coined in the United States (US), in the early 1960s, when a shortage of primary doctors in Colorado forced the introduction of the new health care worker, initially in the area of paediatrics Nurse practitioners in the US have an extended nursing function and a role in meeting the diagnostic and treatment needs of patients. Their work includes physical examinations, counselling, teaching, referrals, dealing with chronic disease and minor illnesses, and some prescribing. Research has shown that nurse practitioners in the US can provide high quality primary health care. There were numerous studies conducted in the 1970s and 1980s examining this issue as the nurse practitioner movement developed. The situation in Canada is similar, although there was never a shortage of primary care physicians. Research in Canada has shown that in terms of quality of care and patient acceptability, the nurse practitioners have scored well.
