Autonomy of nurse practitioners in primary care: An integrative review

PurposeThis integrative review of the existing literature was conducted to identify dimensions related to nurse practitioner (NP) autonomy and to recommend future areas of research related to the important topic of NP autonomy in this era of cost-conscious healthcare reform. Data sourcesArticles were identified from the following databases: CINAHL, MEDLINE, PubMed, Ovid, Scopus, Google Scholar, and EBSCO. ConclusionOver 24 articles were found; 12 peer-reviewed articles met the inclusion criteria of research conducted with NPs, physicians, and patients. The results revealed three categories of association with regard to NP autonomy: job satisfaction, patient satisfaction, and physician-NP collaboration. Implications for practiceThis review was undertaken to advance understanding of autonomy among NPs and the dynamics involved in their delivery of care. Further research into the associations between NP autonomy and its dimensions are necessary to indicate a future direction to the NP role.