Curiously as the medical profession calls for health care to be increasingly based on evidence rather routine, nurse practitioner roles are attacked without substance or justification.

That is according to CQUniversity's Professor of Contemporary Nursing Brenda Happell who said "indeed the evidence suggests otherwise".

Professor Brenda Happell

"I recently lead a multidisciplinary research team comparing routine medical care in a mental health Crisis, Assessment and Treatment Team with nurse-initiated care," Professor Happell said.

"No significant differences were found in treatment outcomes and client satisfaction between the 2 approaches, suggesting nurse practitioners can offer safe, effective and responsive treatment in the mental health field.  Where is the AMA's evidence to the contrary?

"The AMA frequently portrays nurse practitioners as providing inferior care and treatment.  Again where is the evidence to support this?

"In my own area of mental health, nurse practitioners are experienced clinicians in this field and have completed a Masters Degree with specific subjects in medication management.  The alternative?

"Most medical treatment in mental health care in Australia is provided by general practitioners who not only often lack clinical expertise in mental health practice, research has often demonstrated negative attitudes in this field.

"Again, recent Australian research strongly suggests that general practitioners are often influenced by community mental health nurses in the medication management of people experiencing a mental illness. 

Rather than fighting a Turf War, the energies of the AMA could be better served by considering (in light of the available evidence) how nurse practitioner roles can be best utilised to meet the demands for a high quality health care service.