The Committee on Pediatric Workforce (CPW), formed by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), acknowledges several important aspects of non-physician, primarily Nurse Practitioner, care and practice. First, they note that NPs have demonstrated, through a number of studies, that they provide a quality of care that is comparable to the care given by a physician, and that often that care leads to greater patient satisfaction (Committee on Pediatric Workforce, 2003. p. 427). They also note that the training and education of Nurse Practitioners “overlaps and complements” the practice of pediatricians (CPW, 2003. p. 429). Collaborative efforts of Nurse Practitioners also “serve to benefit child health” (CPW, 2003. p. 429). Though presenting opposition to increased independence of care for Nurse Practitioners, the AAP recognizes the need for greater support of APNs in underserved, rural, and remote areas (CPW, 2003). Finally, the CPW (2003) states that liability for independently practicing APNs, in states that provide this, should be held to the same statutes of liability as practicing physicians in those areas (p. 432).
Committee on Pediatric Workforce, (2003). Scope of practice issues in the delivery of pediatric health care. Pediatrics, 111(2), 426-435. DOI: 10.1542/peds.111.2.426