Innovation-diffusion theory and the evolution of the nurse practitioner role: how a good thing has caught on.

Nurse practitioners are one of the most unique innovations in health care delivery in recent decades. In this article, Roger's innovation-diffusion theory is applied to an analysis of the evolution of the nurse practitioner role. The four elements of the diffusion process, the innovation, communication, time, and social system, are addressed. Consequences of the innovation-diffusion process, as well as research implications, are presented.