The Effect of Scope of Practice on the Supply of Prospective Nurse Practitioners

• In Event: Supply-Side Healthcare Policies: Effects on Entry, Access, and Quality

Abstract

Given a physician shortage in the United States, a scope of practice (SOP) expansion for nurse practitioners (NPs) has been drawing attention from policymakers to improve access to care. About a half of states have pulled the policy level by allowing NPs to practice without a supervision or collaborative agreement for practice and prescription (“full practice authority”). Previous studies found that the SOP expansion increased the average earnings of NPs and the probability of them being self-employed. However, it is little explored whether this improvement in occupational autonomy and earnings attracts new workers into the occupation. In this paper, we examine how the SOP expansion affects the supply of prospective NPs that is measured as the number of students who received an advanced nursing degree in the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS). Our preliminary analysis on the staggered adoption of NP full practice authority by U.S. states shows that there is a 16% increase in the supply of prospective NPs in treated states relative to control states after the policy change. This finding suggests that NP SOP expansions may lead to a larger improvement in access to care in the long run.

Author

• Kihwan Bae, West Virginia University
  Presenting Author