APPs Are Moving to Capitalize on Gains Made During the Pandemic as Their Numbers Grow

In the all-hands-on-deck peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, many states cleared the way for physician assistants to take on more authority—temporarily, in order to get through the crisis. Now that things have smoothed out a bit (at least for now), PAs are pushing for at least some of those relaxed limitations to become permanent, according to an article published by Becker’s Hospital Review. The article goes on to point out that some physician groups, including the American Medical Association, are against the idea because they’re concerned patient safety could suffer. Meanwhile, a separate article published by Becker’s quotes data from the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics indicating that “nurse practitioner” is expected to be the fastest-growing job over the next decade. Between now and 2031, the ranks of NPs are projected to swell from 246,700 to 359,400. Given that this coincides with an anticipated paucity of primary care physicians, the collective value of advanced-practice providers in urgent care and other settings may be increasing along with their numbers.