GettyThe record number of nurse practitioners has reduced the size of the registered nurse workforce by 80,000, putting pressure on hospitals and policymakers to come up with ways to fill the RN void, according to a new study. The number of nurse practitioners rose to 190,000 from 91,000 from 2010 to 2017, the authors said, citing the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey. The numbers of nurse practitioners continues to grow and the American Association of Nurse Practitioners reported last year that the number of licensed nurse practitioners eclipsed 270,000, setting a new record. “They see every day the consequences of poor access to health care and the importance of prevention to the health of their patients. NPs are transforming health care and improving our health trajectory by going where the need is greatest: the frontlines of primary care.”

Source: Forbes February 03, 2020 21:00 UTC