Nurse Practitioner Role, Independent Practice, and Teamwork in Primary Care

• Significant proportion of NPs does not have own patient panel.
• NPs report higher level of autonomy and independent practice than teamwork.
• Higher NP autonomy and independent practice are associated with better teamwork.

Primary care nurse practitioner (NP) workforce represents a substantial supply of primary care providers able to meet the demand for care. However, many barriers influence NP practice and care. This study conducted a survey of NPs in New York state to better understand NPs' role, independent practice, and teamwork in primary care organizations. Overall, 278 NPs completed the online survey. Forty-two percent of NPs had their own patient panel. The mean score of the Autonomy and Independent Practice scale was higher than that of the Teamwork scale. These scales were positively correlated, suggesting that NP independent practice may improve teamwork.