Michael Zychowicz, professor, published "Advanced Practice Nurses Providing Care to Patients with Musculoskeletal Conditions: Preparation, Role and Impact” in the June issue of Nursing Clinics of North America (NCNA). This issue of NCNA was focused solely on orthopedic nursing.

Abstract

Key Points

• The presence of nurse practitioners (NPs) in orthopedics is growing steadily in a range of roles and settings.

• NPs significantly contribute to improvements in care delivery, decreased length of stay, lower cost and increased patient satisfaction.

• Many NPs learn orthopedic practice through continuing education and on the job training​

Introduction

The role of the nurse practitioner (NP) has become an integral part of health care in the United States. The role of the NP has evolved over the past several decades to meet the needs of society. It is not clear how long NPs have been practicing in orthopedics or when they started to enter this specialty. Very little exists in the literature about orthopedic NP history. Based on this author’s personal experience and practice, NPs have been in orthopedic practice since at least the 1980s. Nurses, however, have engaged in orthopedics since the late 1800s in the United Kingdom. NPs practice in nearly every specialty and subspecialty in health care. This article provides general and orthopedic-specific information about NP education and certification. This article also describes the role, settings and impact of the orthopedic NP on health care delivery.