The health care community stands together to express grave concerns about the recent Bloomberg article, "The Miseducation of America’s Nurse Practitioners." The authors failed to write a balanced story by cherry picking negative information and failing to report the enormous contributions nurse practitioners (NPs) make to patient care and across the health care system.
The authors have omitted the fact that NPs have consistently risen to meet our nation's health care challenges. This includes risking their lives with other health care professionals to treat patients during the pandemic despite a limited supply of personal protective equipment (PPE); setting up mobile clinics or going door to door in disadvantaged communities to provide care; being among the first clinicians to treat patients with opioid use disorder in hundreds of rural counties; and providing care in rural counties, after other clinicians left and hospitals closed, to ensure continued access.
Unfortunately, these types of hit pieces can be written about any profession, but distinctly have no place in our nation’s health care system. This type of journalism not only disparages an honorable profession at a time in which our country is struggling to build our nation’s workforce, but also frightens patients from seeking needed care.
The following points were either provided by AANP or could have been found by the authors if they were seeking to provide readers with any type of balanced article:
Generalizations, sensationalism and cherry-picking should not be used by news sources to disparage NPs or other professions that are caring for patients and their families throughout the nation. Taking only individual negative outcomes or perceptions and then generalizing them to an entire profession that cares for patients in over a billion patient visits per year is irresponsible and dangerous. We stand together in rebuking this type of fear mongering by these reporters, Bloomberg News or any group seeking to advance an agenda with these despicable tactics.
Sincerely,
American Association of Nurse Practitioners
American Academy of Emergency Nurse Practitioners
American Academy of Nursing
American Academy of Nurse Practitioners Certification Board
American Association of Colleges of Nursing
American Association of Critical-Care Nurses
American College of Nurse-Midwives
American Nurses Association
American Organization for Nursing Leadership
American Psychiatric Nurse Association
Association of Faculties of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners
Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education
Convenient Care Association
Emergency Nurses Association
Gerontological Advanced Practice Nurses Association
Hospice and Palliative Nurses Association
National Association of Clinical Nurse Specialists
National Association of Neonatal Nurses
National Association of Neonatal Nurses-Advanced Practice
National Association of Nurse Practitioners in Women’s Health
National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners
National Certification Corporation
National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties
Advanced Practice Nurses of New Jersey
Alaska APRN Alliance
Alaska Nurse Practitioner Association
Arizona Nurse Practitioner Council
Arkansas Nurse Practitioner Association
Association of Nurse Practitioners in Business
Association of Oklahoma Nurse Practitioners
Astera Cancer Care
California Association for Nurse Practitioners
Coalition of Advanced Practices Nurses of Indiana
Connecticut Advanced Practice Registered Nurse Society
Connecticut Nurses Association
Delaware Coalition of Nurse Practitioners
Florida Association of Neonatal Nurse Practitioners
Florida Association of Nurse Practitioners
Florida Chapter of Gerontological Advanced Practice Nurses Association
Florida Coalition of Advanced Practice Nurses
Florida Nurse Practitioners Network
Hart & Arndt Family Health PC
Illinois Society for Advanced Practice Nursing
Jamaica Association of Nurse Practitioners
Kentucky Association of Nurse Practitioners and Nurse-Midwives
Maine NP Association
Maryland Academy of Advanced Practice Clinicians
Massachusetts Coalition of Nurse Practitioners
Michigan Council of Nurse Practitioners
Minnesota Nurse Practitioners
Mississippi Association of Nurse Practitioners
Missouri APRN Full Practice Authority
New Hampshire Nurse Practitioner Association
New Jersey Palliative Care Advanced Practice Nurse Consortium
New Mexico Nurse Practitioner Council
Northern New Jersey Hospice and Palliative Nurse Association
North Alabama Nurse Practitioner Association
North Texas Nurse Practitioners
NP’s of Lee County
Nurse Practitioner Alliance of Alabama
Nurse Practitioner Alliance of Rhode Island
Nurse Practitioner Association New York State
Nurse Practitioner Association of Long Island
Nurse Practitioner Association of Maryland
Nurse Practitioner Council of Miami-Dade Inc.
Nurse Practitioners of Idaho
Nurse Practitioners of New York
Nurse Practitioners of Oregon
Ohio Association of Advanced Practice Nurses
Oasis Health Partners
Oregon Nurses Association
Patients First Medical Clinic
Pennsylvania Coalition of Nurse Practitioners
Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital
Society of Psychiatric Advanced Practice Nurses
South Florida Council of Advanced Practice Nurses
Tampa Bay Advanced Practice Nurses Council
Tennessee Nurse Practitioner Association
Texas Nurse Practitioners
United Advance Registered Nurses
Utah Nurse Practitioners Association
Vermont Nurse Practitioner Association
Virginia Council of Nurse Practitioners
West Virginia Nurses Association
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The American Association of Nurse Practitioners® (AANP) is the largest professional membership organization for nurse practitioners (NPs) of all specialties. It represents the interests of the more than 385,000 licensed NPs in the U.S. AANP provides legislative leadership at the local, state and national levels, advancing health policy; promoting excellence in practice, education and research; and establishing standards that best serve NPs' patients and other health care consumers. As The Voice of the Nurse Practitioner®, AANP represents the interests of NPs as providers of high-quality, cost-effective, comprehensive, patient-centered health care. To locate an NP in your community, visit npfinder.com. For more information about NPs, visit aanp.org.