Education of Nurse Practitioners and Physician Assistants; What Role, if any, for Physicians in Determining Their Scope of Practice?

Abstract

Recent changes in legislation allow for non-physicians to independently perform many of the duties previously restricted to physicians. There are potentially benefits to these changes, but the author is concerned that some of the attributes of physicians induced by the long and rigorous training embedded in the profession may be absent in this new, independent health-care work force.

Keywords

• nurse practioners
• physician assistants
• midlevels
• prescriptive authority