US Perspective: The Role of the Advanced Practice Nurse (Report‪)‬

Introduction Currently, President Barack Obama of the United States is proposing major healthcare reform in which the millions of Americans who are uninsured or underinsured would be guaranteed healthcare. At the same time, it is projected this healthcare option could exacerbate the shortage of primary care physicians by as much as 300,000 within the next ten years. According to the American Academy of HIV Medicine (AAHIVM) and the HIV Medicine Association (HIVMA), fewer physicians are choosing HIV care as a career and as many as one third of all physicians currently providing HIV care plan to retire within the next ten years [1]. Advanced practice nurses (APNs) or nurse practitioners (NPs) are uniquely prepared to fill this expected gap. Research has shown that HIV care provided by NPs, as well as physician assistants (PAs), is equal in quality and outcomes to that of HIV physician specialists [2]. This article will outline the role of the APN in the HIV epidemic, as well as discuss the possible impact current APN education programme changes may have in the care of HIV-infected persons in the US.