Telehealth, the use of digital technology to deliver healthcare services remotely, has seen unprecedented growth in recent years, particularly spurred by the COVID-19 pandemic. This expansion has transformed the healthcare landscape, offering new opportunities and challenges for healthcare providers, including nurse practitioners (NPs). As telehealth continues to evolve, understanding its implications for NPs is crucial for adapting to and thriving in this new era of healthcare.
Increased Access to Care
One of the most significant benefits of telehealth expansion is the increased access to care it provides. For NPs, this means the ability to reach patients in rural and underserved areas who might otherwise have limited access to healthcare services. Telehealth breaks down geographical barriers, allowing NPs to offer consultations, follow-ups, and ongoing care without requiring patients to travel long distances.
By leveraging telehealth, NPs can more effectively address health disparities. Populations that face barriers such as transportation issues, lack of local healthcare providers, or mobility challenges can now receive timely medical attention. This improved access can lead to earlier interventions, better management of chronic conditions, and overall improved health outcomes.
Telehealth offers unparalleled flexibility and convenience for both patients and providers. NPs can schedule virtual appointments that fit into their patients’ busy lives, reducing the need for time off work or arranging childcare. For NPs, telehealth can also mean more flexible work hours and the ability to balance professional responsibilities with personal life more effectively.
The integration of telehealth can streamline many aspects of healthcare delivery. Electronic health records (EHRs), online scheduling, and virtual consultations can reduce administrative burdens and enhance efficiency. This streamlined workflow allows NPs to focus more on patient care and less on paperwork and logistics.
Telehealth can enhance patient engagement by making healthcare more accessible and less intimidating. Virtual visits can be less stressful for patients, particularly those who experience anxiety in clinical settings. Additionally, telehealth platforms often include features like direct messaging, which can facilitate better communication and follow-up between NPs and their patients.
Through telehealth, NPs can empower patients to take a more active role in their healthcare. Patients can monitor their health metrics, access educational resources, and communicate with their providers more easily. This empowerment can lead to better adherence to treatment plans and improved health literacy.
Professional Development and Continuing Education
The expansion of telehealth necessitates ongoing professional development for NPs. Staying current with telehealth technologies, best practices, and regulations is essential. Many continuing education programs now include modules on telehealth, providing NPs with the skills and knowledge needed to deliver high-quality care remotely.
For NPs, adapting to new technologies is a critical aspect of telehealth. This includes understanding how to use various telehealth platforms, ensuring data security and patient confidentiality, and maintaining a high standard of care in a virtual environment. Continuous learning and adaptability are key to thriving in the telehealth landscape.
While telehealth offers many benefits, it also presents challenges that NPs must navigate. One significant concern is ensuring equitable access to technology. Not all patients have reliable internet access or are comfortable using digital tools, which can create barriers to telehealth services. NPs must find ways to bridge this digital divide and provide alternative solutions when necessary.
Telehealth expansion also brings legal and regulatory considerations. NPs must stay informed about state and federal telehealth regulations, licensure requirements, and reimbursement policies. Understanding these complexities is crucial to avoid legal pitfalls and ensure compliance with healthcare standards.
Future Prospects
The future of telehealth looks promising, with continued advancements in technology and growing acceptance among patients and providers. For NPs, this means ongoing opportunities to innovate and improve healthcare delivery. Embracing telehealth can lead to new models of care, such as hybrid approaches that combine in-person and virtual visits, ultimately enhancing the overall patient experience.
Nurse practitioners are well-positioned to play a pivotal role in shaping the future of healthcare through telehealth. Their holistic approach to patient care, combined with the flexibility and reach of telehealth, can lead to more personalized and effective healthcare solutions. As telehealth becomes an integral part of the healthcare system, NPs will remain at the forefront of this transformation.
Nurse practitioners (NPs) have always been essential in addressing the shortage of primary care physicians, especially in rural and underserved areas. However, despite having several hundred thousand NPs employed across the country, only about 34 percent chose to work in primary care as of 2021, according to a study by the Milbank Memorial Fund. Instead, many are increasingly moving towards specialty care, as outlined in a recent article in the Washington Post. This trend raises concerns about the future availability of primary care providers. Here, we explore the reasons behind this shift and its potential implications for healthcare.
Financial Incentives
One of the primary factors driving NPs from primary care to specialty care is financial incentive. For example, Salary.com reports that the average national salary for a general nurse practitioner is around $124,000 per year in 2024. For an emergency nurse practitioner, the average salary lands at just over $134,000 annually. While these figures can fluctuate due to location and demand, this disparity remains a significant motivator, particularly as the cost of living rises and student loan debt remains a burden for many healthcare professionals.
Higher compensation in specialty fields naturally attracts NPs, much like it does for physicians, who also often opt for higher-paying specialties over primary care.
Another allure of specialty care is the opportunity for professional development. Advanced programs and certificates are available in subspecialties such as cardiology, orthopedics, and more, though enrollment in these programs is often not mandatory for NPs to practice in a specialty. This relative ease of transition, especially compared to other healthcare providers such as physicians, allows NPs to explore and move into specialties with less bureaucratic hassle.
The demand for specialized care is growing, which further encourages NPs to move into these areas. According to the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics, the nurse practitioner occupation is projected to grow 38 percent by 2032. This growth is partly driven by an aging population with increasing healthcare needs, many of which require specialized knowledge and treatment. This high demand for NPs in specialty roles highlights the expanding opportunities and attractive career prospects outside of primary care.
Impact on Primary Care
The migration of NPs from primary care to specialty care raises significant concerns about the future of primary care availability. Primary care is fundamental to preventive health and the management of chronic conditions, which are critical for improving overall health outcomes and reducing healthcare costs. The reduction in primary care providers could hinder these benefits, placing more strain on the healthcare system and adversely affecting patient care, especially in underserved and rural areas.
What Will Attract NPs Back to Primary Care?
The shift of nurse practitioners from primary care to specialty care is driven by various factors, including financial incentives, opportunities for professional development, and high demand for specialized services. While this trend offers NPs enhanced career prospects and the ability to meet specific patient needs more effectively, it also raises concerns about the future of primary care availability.
Addressing these issues may require policy interventions to make primary care more financially attractive and professionally rewarding for NPs. Ensuring a balanced distribution of healthcare providers is essential for maintaining comprehensive and accessible healthcare for all populations. As the healthcare landscape continues to evolve, understanding and managing the factors influencing NPs’ career choices will be crucial in addressing the broader challenges facing the healthcare system.
Judy Daniels, MSN, RN, AGPCNP-BC | Updated/Verified: September 9, 2024
A severe problem hiding in plain sight, human trafficking affects millions of people around the world – including many in our very own communities. It’s estimated that around 50 million people were victims of human trafficking in 2021 alone, with more than 10,000 situations reported to the United States Human Trafficking Hotline in this same year. The numbers, sadly, continue to rise.
Human trafficking is the illegal act of forcing people to work or perform other actions against their will. In some cases, it even involves forced marriage. It’s modern slavery, affecting people of all ages, nationalities, sexes, and backgrounds. Why should you care? Because human trafficking doesn’t just happen “somewhere else.” It can happen in our cities and our neighborhoods. Statistics show that many victims come into contact with healthcare professionals or are in school settings at some point during their situation, putting educators and healthcare workers in a unique position to help. Multiple studies have found that up to 88% of victims of human trafficking come into contact with the healthcare system while being trafficked. Women’s health nurse practitioners can help prevent human trafficking by understanding how to identify risks and connect services accordingly.
By sharing this information, we hope to empower you with the vital knowledge to recognize the signs and how to lend a helping hand. Together, we can make our communities safer for everyone.
The Children’s Hospital Association released a safety alert that includes the signs of young trafficking victims and how healthcare professionals can identify them.
Use the multiple videos on this site to learn more about human trafficking as they tackle topics like how to support and help survivors and the signs of trafficking.
The American Hospital Association offers free digital toolkits in English and Spanish, tips on how to talk to victims and survivors, and other resources.
Available from the Office of Trafficking in Persons, this page looks at the type of healthcare victims seek or need and where medical professionals can go for help.
The researchers behind this study sent surveys to healthcare professionals to test their knowledge about human trafficking and then compiled the results.
Two medical professionals worked on this article to help others understand why trafficking victims often go undetected and what medical workers can do.
The AMA Journal of Ethics published this article, which looks at current and past research to show why medical professionals need more training to address the issue.
Designed for healthcare professionals, this PDF helps you see some of the lessons learned by medical professionals based on their experiences with trafficking victims.
The 20 tips on this list are easy enough for anyone to do, and they include a hotline you can call if you believe someone is a victim and fundraising ideas.
Learn what human trafficking is, who is behind the issue, the red flags to watch for, and much more on this page from the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA).
Learn who to call when you meet someone in need of help, learn how to take action in your community, and find other helpful tips to fight back against human trafficking.
The UN offers a range of tips on how you can prevent human trafficking online, such as using strong privacy settings and flagging any harmful content you see.
Also, this article from the UN looks at some of the modern and lesser-known types of human trafficking and the prevention, prosecution, and protection needed.
Use this website to learn practical tips you can use to prevent human trafficking in your area and what to do if you think you see some of the signs of trafficking.
Learn how to recognize trafficking victims in healthcare settings and how to assist them along with other useful tips in this article from a major national organization.
This study interviewed more than 40 healthcare workers in Houston to uncover the themes and challenges they faced in identifying victims in healthcare settings.
The authors of this study reviewed the educational resources available to healthcare professionals to guide them in what they should and should not do.
Published in 2016, this study involved more than 100 human trafficking victims to talk about their health needs and how often they sought medical attention.
Learn why human trafficking is a human rights violation in this piece, which also looks at the limited resources for healthcare professionals who work with victims.
This article reviewed dozens of studies from 2010 that looked at the trafficking of children before writing the results that it found in a simple format.
Read the results of this study to learn about the lack of education medical professionals receive about human trafficking and the type of training they’ll need in the future.
The Polaris Project gives hope to trafficking victims and survivors through information about human trafficking along with research into the subject and public awareness campaigns.
Taking a page from the Underground Railroad, the OUR fights to end human trafficking and sexual exploitation through programs that helped save more than 7,000 people.
Freedom Network USA is a significant coalition comprised of legal professionals and others who offer training and run advocacy programs to end human trafficking.
Located in the Midwest and Florida, this organization offers programs that include raising awareness of the topic and teaching prevention methods to others.
Better known as HEAL, this nonprofit offers counseling for survivors and victims, resources like a digital toolkit, and speakers who will come to your community.
The Center for Prevention of Abuse believes in stopping all forms of abuse through free resources for those who want to help others and those who need immediate help.
This organization wants to inform and educate the general public on human trafficking, which it does through an academy and special programs for survivors.
The Alliance to End Human Trafficking offers a ton of resources and services that include some, like counseling and educational programs for survivors.
Join United Against Human Trafficking to learn about their direct programs, as well as those designed to help young people avoid human trafficking situations.
Stephanie Hepburn and Rita J. Simon collaborated on Human Trafficking Around the World, which talks about organ trafficking, sex tourism, and other trafficking methods.
Rachel Lloyd wrote her memoir to share her experiences as a trafficking victim in the hopes of getting others to realize the severity of the problem and how they can help.
In Disposable People, author Kevin Bales discusses the issue of new slavery to show readers that it’s a form of human trafficking that still exists today.
Patricia McCormick wrote the award-winning book Sold, which uses vignettes to describe the horrors a young girl went through as a victim of trafficking.
The editors behind this book explain the basics of human trafficking and exploitation as they discuss how and why the issue exists despite legislation around the world.
In this book, Raleigh Sadler explores the common victims of human trafficking and encourages others to take a stand and understand their role in the problem.
Available as a PDF, this guide talks about how exploiters find their victims and what they do, as well as how those in security positions on college campuses can prevent trafficking.
Released by an organization in North Carolina, this toolkit offers practical information, such as the myths behind human trafficking and the trades where it’s the most common.
Read about Sarah here, a victim of sex trafficking who made her way out and spoke to students at the University of South Carolina about her experiences.
From Blue Campaign, this toolkit supplies college and university students with tips on how they can raise awareness of trafficking and protect other students.
Karley Gordon describes how college students become trafficking victims and addresses the red flags that should make them think twice when meeting new people.
Learn about the signs of human trafficking and those you might miss in this video from the Peel Regional Police, which is just over three minutes long.
The Office for Victims of Crime wants to help you put a face to the name of trafficking survivors, which is why it posted this video where survivors talk about their experiences.
You can watch this video online and download a copy to hear members of the Seattle FBI go over some of the common myths associated with human trafficking.
The human trafficking problem in Houston and its possible solutions, along with the connection between trafficking and foster care, are issues addressed in this podcast.
This podcast from the University of Notre Dame offers insights from a professor in the university’s business department on why human trafficking exists.
The Global Center for Women and Justice launched Ending Human Trafficking to cover all aspects of human trafficking through discussions with leading professionals.
Many people have a hard time understanding how people become victims of human trafficking, but this podcast goes over the traps they set to attract them.
With more than 300 episodes, this podcast covers dozens of topics, such as how government agencies fight back and how medical professionals should respond.
Unseen is a podcast dedicated to sexual trafficking that features stories from survivors and tells you about cases the popular media didn’t cover.
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Throughout this strange time of COVID-19, we encounter many personalities. The public has several ways of obtaining information about the virus including detection, prevention, and death rates. The frustration of quarantine, coupled with parents acting as teachers while working remotely, creates entirely new levels of stress. We are living outside of the norm, which can result in amplified shifts in personality traits. Amid all of these changes, NPs continue to be relied on for treating and counseling patients. Both in the office and on the street, NPs share advice and answer questions about the virus as the public strives to return to normalcy in their personal and professional lives.
How Nurse Practitioners Can Approach 6 Different Patient Personality Types
It’s essential to first understand the different types of personalities to properly handle them, while simultaneously providing sound information to calm the madness. You don't need to be a psychiatric-mental health NP to communicate effectively with different patient personalities. The following six personality types are common across patients and the public. As nurse practitioners are often asked to weigh in on COVID-19, these personalities should be carefully considered when doing so.
1. Reframe Public Guidance For the Rebel
Rebels do what they want to do when they want to do it and typically resist taking direction from authority. For instance, the rebel will likely not agree to wear a mask or practice social distancing. It's important to remind rebels what they want and how their actions affect them. Rebels are concerned about being true to themselves, and they can embrace a habit if they view it as a way to express their identity. The rebel might agree to wear a mask if they realize that it will keep them healthy and give them control over not infecting anyone else.
2. Have Fun With the Narcissist, But At a Distance
The narcissist cannot think communally, lacks empathy, and thinks that he or she is exempt from COVID-19 restrictions. Educating the narcissist, and asking this personality type to be considerate of others will not be successful. However, continually pointing to scientific facts might persuade the narcissist. Despite being fun and dynamic people, it's best to avoid narcissists as they can be dangerous to your health!
3. Be Creative With the Exasperated
Exasperated people are fed up with restrictions and mask requirements. They don’t want to talk about COVID-19 anymore and seek to break social standards. This exhausted and wary group needs adequate education about restrictions to be delivered in brief and simple terms. They also require proof of how the limits are helping to reduce the spread of the pandemic. Aim to make mask-wearing fashionable, and explain to them that they are helping the community by following social guidelines.
4. Share With the Social Media Blabber
The social media blabber is receiving most of their information from social media outlets such as Facebook and Instagram. This group needs a dedicated page for daily readable updates. Providing positive and hopeful data is helpful to the social media blabber (and their followers).
5. Save Your Energy For the Overwhelmed
Individuals who are overwhelmed feel anxious about breaking free from quarantine restrictions. They only talk about the worst-case scenarios of COVID-19 and have difficulty recognizing that 90% of patients recover with mild to moderate illness. This group needs one-on-one conversations and frequent updates about the spread of the virus, including when safe vaccines are available and progress on treatment.
6. Prepare to Correct the Conspiracy Theorist
According to a June poll, approximately 25% of Americans believe that there is some element of conspiracy associated with COVID-19. The infodemic includes a group of educated “Front Line Doctors” touting that there's a secret cure for COVID, protest public mask-wearing, and fight for an open economy. With the help of social media, a documentary by a shamed virologist called Plandemic reached millions of people. Even celebrities message their followers who question the science. It is easy to spread misinformation and difficult to correct it with ever-changing scientific data.
The Bottom Line
For all of these groups, open-ended questions and active listening techniques are key to easing anxiety, stopping the spread of unreliable information, and creating a trusted relationship between you and the public. Share reliable and up-to-date information with patients and the community members using public and scientific data. Show interest in their changing lifestyles and offer personal anecdotes. It's important for providers to avoid letting patients lose sight of current health problems and openly discuss concerns about the pandemic. This includes the possibilities of depression, poor coping mechanisms, and unsafe living conditions.
Information around COVID-19 changes every day. Therefore, it's crucial to present patients with the latest data and convey it with a sense of professionalism and unwavering confidence. The best websites for up-to-date information and patient-friendly resources include the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) COVID-19 Information page and the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center.
