Developing and Sustaining Nurse Practitioner and Physician Assistant Services: A Decade Of Lessons Learned-Slides

Slides

Pdf Summary

This presentation, “Developing and Sustaining Advanced Practice Provider Services: A Decade of Lessons Learned,” discusses the integration, growth, and optimization of Nurse Practitioners (NPs) and Physician Assistants (PAs) in inpatient hospital settings, with insights primarily from the University of Chicago Medicine's experience.<br /><br />NPs and PAs (together Advanced Practice Providers or APPs) are increasingly vital in healthcare due to physician shortages, duty hour restrictions on residents, and demand for efficient care, especially highlighted during challenges like the COVID-19 pandemic. Employment of APPs in hospitals is expanding rapidly, with projections showing 40% growth for APRNs and 28% for PAs by 2031.<br /><br />University of Chicago Medicine currently employs 592 APPs, with 25% focused on inpatient care across multiple service lines, such as hospital medicine, transplant, and short stay units. Their models range from NP/PA-led independent services to integrated dyad models with attending physicians providing supervision and collaboration.<br /><br />Key lessons revolve around building a strong NP/PA culture through leadership development, intentional onboarding, and fostering bidirectional mentorship between physicians and APPs. Defining scope of practice aligned with evolving state and institutional regulations is crucial for maximizing APP autonomy and effectiveness. Emphasis is placed on selecting the right patient populations and care settings for NP/PA involvement to promote quality and efficiency, highlighting the importance of matching provider skills with clinical needs.<br /><br />Successful APP integration improves care quality, inter-professional teamwork, and institutional reputation, while poor integration risks underutilization and setbacks. The role of physician involvement and medical directors is vital in supervision, mentorship, and advocacy for APP services.<br /><br />Overall, the presentation underscores the necessity of investing in NP/PA infrastructure and culture to sustain and expand advanced practice provider services effectively within evolving healthcare systems.

Keywords

Advanced Practice Providers

Nurse Practitioners

Physician Assistants

Inpatient Hospital Care

University of Chicago Medicine

Healthcare Workforce Shortages

APP Integration Models

Leadership and Mentorship

Scope of Practice

Healthcare Service Optimization