ADMINISTRATIVE ISSUES FOR USE OF NURSE PRACTITIONERS

As nurse administrators increasingly use nurse practitioners in health care delivery systems to provide high-quality, more cost-effective car e, they must recognize and take action on key practice issues-autonomy , title protection, admitting privileges, physician back-up, and reimb ursement. Careful attention and action directed to enhancing nurse pra ctitioner usefulness will increase the flexibility of nurse practition ers utilization within specific institutions and across a diverse netw ork of healthcare delivery sites structured to provide continuity of c are.