Non-Primary Care Specialties

Individuals across the globe wait days and sometime weeks to see their primary care physician just to receive their annual checkup. According to the Association of American Medical Colleges, “Shortages in four broad categories will occur within the next ten years: primary care, medical specialties, surgical specialties, and other specialties. By 2025, the study estimates a shortfall of between 14,900 and 35,600 primary care physicians. Non-primary care specialties are expected to experience a shortfall of between 37,400 and 60,300 physicians.” (Association of American Medical Colleges, 2016). With the deficiency of physicians around the United States, patients should look more into being seen by an advanced nurse than waiting a few more days or weeks to see their primary care physician.
(Konstantinovsky, 2014)“. Another name for an advance nurse is a nurse practitioner. “A nurse practitioner (NP) is a nurse with a graduate or doctorate-level education who is qualified to treat patients without the direct supervision of a medical doctor.” (Konstantinovsky, 2014). Benefits of an advance nurse can include shorter waits for appointments. For instance, a patient has a problem with her menstrual cycle and she needs to see her OBGYN nevertheless, the physician is not available for another 2 to 3 weeks. At this given moment checking the nurse practitioner schedule would be