The rural nurse-practitioner: concepts and issues.

This paper reviews concepts, issues and research findings related to the role of the nurse-practitioner; in particular, findings related to the role of the rural nurse-practitioner are considered. Issues related to the nurse-practitioner, including effectiveness, physician acceptance, client acceptance, models of practice, legal issues, reimbursement, licensure and educational implications are discussed. It is concluded that the nurse-practitioner is a valuable profession.