Overcoming barriers to the employment and utilization of the nurse practitioner.

A national longitudinal cohort study of nurse practitioners and their employers conducted during 1973--1976 provided data on barriers to the development of the nurse practitioner role in primary care. Nearly 90 per cent of the 500 primary care nurse practitioners responding and 75 per cent of the 407 employers responding reported encountering one or more barriers to the role development of the nurse practitioner in their practice setting. Nurse practitioners identified an average of 2.2 barriers and employers identified an average of 1.6 barriers each. Specific barriers identified by 20 per cent or more of the nurse practitioners and employers were legal restrictions, limitations of space and facilities, and resistance from other providers. The data and other evidence suggest that these barriers are not insurmountable and that progress is being made in overcoming these obstacles.