Nurse practitioners' adherence to protocols

In June 1980 the Nurse Practitioner Pilot Project was initiated by the Nurse Practitioner Conference Group of Utah. Sixty-two of Utah's 192 registered nurse practitioners became participants in the Pilot Project. Senate Bill 198 allowed nurse practitioners in the state of Utah to prescribe medications while practicing according to protocols in collaboration with approved physicians over a two and one-half year period. The purpose of the research was to establish whether or not nurse practitioners adhered to protocols mandated by the law. An ex-post facto chart review of the nurse practitioner participants was done according to recorded subjective, objective, laboratory and care plan information. Data revealed that 9 7% of the sample was practicing at a level higher than the minimum requirements of the protocol guidelines. Demographic variables were not statistically significant in their relationship to nurse practitioners' adherence to protocols.