Original papers Comparison of the work of a nurse practitioner with that of a general practitioner

SUMMARY The work of a nurse practitioner was compared with that of a general practitioner. Both were equally available to the same patient population over the same period. The nurse practitioner saw a similar age and sex distribution ofpatients to the doctor but saw different types of problems. More of the patients she saw were for follow-up of chronic diseases, health advice and screening measures while fewer were acutely ill. The doctor dealt with four times as many patients. The nurse practitioner managed 78 % of her consultations without referral to a doctor, and 89 % without resorting to prescribed drugs. There was a high level of patient satisfaction with her work and 97 % of the patients who saw the nurse would choose to consult her again. The role of the nurse practitioner in our practice has developed differently from a similar post in another setting, thus emphasizing the need for flexibility when defining the role. Nurse practitioners are a valuable extra resource for the development of new areas of care, rather than a cheaper substitute for a general practitioner