Nurse Practitioners in College Health—Where are They Now?

Abstract

Abstract “Nurse practitioners in college health—where are they now?” This question led to a controlled, computerized study of graduates of the Bringham Young University College Health Nurse Practitioner Course. The study was conducted with the use of a questionnaire sent to these 206 participants in university health centers in 35 states. Respondents indicated their opinion on the following issues: 1) does the nurse practitioner accept herself as a true professional in the nurse practitioner role, and 2) do her coworkers accept her as a true professional in the nurse practitioner role? The findings from the job satisfaction scale are significant as they show a high degree of self-acceptance among the nurse practitioners. There are also significant findings indicating strong physician and peer acceptance of the nurse practitioner in her role. These findings suggest that a college health registered nurse who has strong physician and peer support prior to expanding her role as a nurse practitioner will conti...