Collaborative care between nurse practitioners and primary care physicians.

Primary care practices are looking at methods of providing quality care for an increasing number of patients, and one method of achieving this goal is the development of a collaborative agreement with a physician(s) and nurse practitioner(s). There is a need for information about the role of the nurse practitioner and the advantages of collaboration. This article reviews the history of the nurse practitioner movement, practice standards, and the scope of practice for nurse practitioners. Models of collaborative practice and the advantages of these models are discussed. Considerations for entering into collaborative practice are addressed also.