Knowledge and attitudes of primary care physicians toward the nurse practitioner role in the Kingdom of Bahrain

Purpose: The Kingdom of Bahrain is facing a number of challenges, including an escalating cost of health services, increasing incidence of chronic diseases, and shortage of primary care physicians (PCPs). Introducing the nurse practitioner (NP) specialty in the primary care setting is one way to meet these challenges. The purpose of this quasi-experimental study was to examine the knowledge and attitudes of PCPs about the NP role prior to and following an educational intervention. Data sources: The modified Northern Emergency Nurse Practitioner Staff Survey was used to measure the PCPs' attitudes and knowledge. A total of 90 PCPs completed the pretest and posttest. Conclusions: The study findings showed that PCPs had poor understanding of the NP role. Their knowledge and attitudes changed significantly after the educational intervention. Also, posttest data indicated a positive correlation between knowledge and attitudes toward the NP role. Implications for practice: More educational preparation and orientation to the NP role for PCPs and other healthcare professionals are needed before the implementation of the role in the primary care setting in Bahrain. There is a need for the role to be clearly defined prior to implementation to help gain understanding and acceptance.