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Celebrating Advanced Practice Providers for National APP Week
This week, September 22–28, 2024, has been designated National APP Week. At All Star Healthcare Solutions, we have the unique privilege to see the value advanced practice providers (APPs) add to the experience of patients, fellow healthcare professionals, and communities. Don’t just take our word for it. Check out these impressive statistics that show the extent of APP roles in modern American healthcare, including the impact nurse practitioners (NPs), physician assistants (PAs), and certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs) make as locum tenens professionals.
Nurse Practitioners
Between 2022 and 2023, the population of nurse practitioners increased by 30,000 or 8.5 percent, to a total of 385,000, per the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP). Caring for patients in a variety of settings across the country, NPs have become an integral component to many healthcare teams:
- More than half of U.S. states offer full practice authority, which enables people the opportunity to have full and direct access to NPs.
- All 50 states plus the District of Columbia grant prescriptive privileges to NPs.
- 88 percent of NPs are certified in primary care.
Demand for NPs continues to come from all corners of the country. Facilities of every type and size rely on the advanced practitioners to help manage increasing caseloads in a variety of specialties. In fact, for some facilities in underserved communities, NPs serve as the primary providers. Our Locums consultants connect NPs with healthcare organizations seeking supplemental staff to fill voids and increase access for patients.
Physician Assistants
According to the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA), the PA workforce in 2023 was 178,708 strong and is expected to grow substantially over the next decade. Similar to their NP colleagues, physician assistants have added a vital level of support to hospitals, clinics, private practice groups, and other healthcare organizations.
- 93 percent of patients believe PAs add value to their healthcare teams.
- PAs work across medical specialties and carry out a wide spectrum of procedures.
- The majority of PAs practice in an acute care hospital setting.
Although hospitals are the largest employers of PAs, the locum tenens career alternative benefits both PAs and all types of facilities requiring additional clinicians. Temporary assignments offer PAs the chance to experience various practice settings and work alongside a plethora of colleagues. Healthcare organizations use locums contracts to address increased seasonal needs, for example, or to triage cases while deploying staff members to strategically address critical needs.
Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists
Research indicates the ranks of CRNAs are growing at an impressive rate of 9.8 percent annually, and these specialists are found practicing in surgical centers and clinics, as well as hospitals.
- CRNAs administer millions of anesthetics annually.
- In some rural communities, CRNAs are the only medical professionals to deliver anesthetics.
- CRNAs provide services throughout every step of surgical procedures.
According to a study published in the Annals of Surgery Open, at least one in every nine individuals reported having undergone a surgical procedure in the past year, which reflects a trend of increasing demand. Indeed, the authors caution that the data may be underestimated. Locum tenens CRNAs help facilities cope with busy inpatient and outpatient surgical schedules. Adding these clinicians for defined periods can reduce wait times for elective surgeries, for example. Simultaneously, locums professionals gain satisfaction from knowing they’re influencing people’s health.
As a full-service staffing agency, All Star is ready to partner with advanced practice providers and healthcare facilities for both locum tenens positions and direct-hire opportunities. If you are ready to adopt a locum tenens practice or seek to add APPs to your staffing mix, call All Star Healthcare Solutions today. Reach us at 800-928-0229, or contact us online.
