How Outpatient Nurse Practitioners Define the Barriers and Facilitators to Physical Activity Counseling

This feasibility study used focus groups to explore the barriers and facilitators to physical activity counseling and physical fitness assessment perceived by office-based nurse practitioners (NPs). Two focus groups consisted of family, adult, and women's health NPs. Data were analyzed using Krueger's approach. Four main themes emerged: activity counseling does not stand alone, NP creativity, time constraints/acuity rules, and client constraints/NP frustration and judgments. These NPs did minimal physical fitness assessment but did engage in physical activity counseling.