Physician and patient acceptance of emergency nurse practitioners

Abstract

Patient and physician attitudes toward emergency nurse practitioners (ENP) were surveyed in our emergency medical service. The responses to the questionnaires indicated a high degree of satisfaction with the ENP similar to that reported in a survey of patient reaction to physican assistants (PA) in the emergency department. In our emergency medical service, physicians expressed a concern over the practitioner's care of the emergent patient. Their confidence in the practitioner's clinical judgment was greater in their care of nonurgent and urgent patients.