Charted: How physicians really feel about NPs, PAs

As the health care industry experiences ongoing clinical workforce shortages, the push to allow physician assistants (PAs) and NPs to operate with expanded practice abilities is gaining more support—but many doctors still question their treatment decisions, according to a recent Medscape report.

Most physicians, PAs, and NPs have a positive working relationship

According to the National Commission on Certification of PAs, the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, and the Federation of State Medical Boards, there are almost 149,000 certified PAs, 355,000 NPs, and more than 1 million physicians practicing in the United States.

Of those physicians, almost 70% work for hospitals or corporate entities, the Physician Advocacy Institute reports. According to Medscape, these figures suggest that nearly 700,000...