Study: Giving Nurse Practitioners More Authority Leads to Reduced Hospitalizations

A new study has found that further empowering nurse practitioners (NPs) could lead to a reduction in hospitalizations.

According to the study, states that allow NPs to practice to the fullest extent of their training without a supervising physician have lower hospitalization rates for SNF residents, inpatient rehabilitation patients and dual-eligible Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries.

The American Association of Nurse Practitioners tracks whether states allow NPs to practice at the full, reduced or restricted scope of their training. As of January 2013, 17 states allowed NPs full practice.

The study's authors cautioned that although their results show a link exists, it does not definitively prove that allowing full scope of practice reduces hospitalization rates.

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