Medscape August 11, 2021
The COVID-19 pandemic has fueled a growing demand for nurse practitioners (NPs), while demand for primary care physicians has cooled, according to Merritt Hawkins’ annual review of physician and advanced practitioner recruiting trends.
This marks the first time in the review’s 28-year history that NPs have topped the list of the most recruited practitioners, according to the medical search firm. In the 27 prior years, physicians held the top spot. For the previous 14 years, the number one position was held by family physicians.
“COVID-19 and other market forces are changing the dynamics of physician and advanced practitioner recruiting. NPs are coming into their own in a market that puts a premium on easy access to care and cost containment,”...