Nurse practitioner practice patterns for exercise counseling.

Purpose: To describe nurse practitioner (NP) practice patterns for exercise counseling for adults.

Data sources: Using a cross-sectional design, participants completed a self-administered questionnaire that ascertained barriers and facilitators encountered when providing exercise counseling. Participants included 398 NPs, who averaged 11 years in practice (SD = 7.9) and worked in a variety of practice areas.

Conclusions: In a given week, about half (48%) of the NPs counseled more than 50% of their patients for exercise. The majority of participants (84%) agreed that exercise counseling is as valuable an intervention as prescribed medication. More than half (59%) of the participants exercised regularly. Barriers and facilitators to exercise counseling were predominantly a patient's lack of interest and the length of the patient visit. Specific strategies were identified for older adults and individuals residing in rural areas who may require more tailored exercise counseling. Participants demonstrated strong values about exercise counseling and observed that exercise had clear benefits for their patients. NP respondents offered recommendations focused on safety and adherence that can be used to improve exercise counseling.

Clinical implications: Exercise is a crucial component of preventative health care. Studies have shown that healthcare provider recommendations can be effective in helping patients increase their exercise and activity.