• Lydia Riley, Cindy Harris, Michele McKay, Sue Ellen Gondran, Paula DeCola, and Arif Soonasra.
• American Association of Nurse Practitioners, Austin, Texas.
• J Am Assoc Nurse Pract. 2017 Nov 1; 29 (11): 673-681.

Background And PurposeRheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disease characterized by inflammation, pain, joint stiffness, and progressive joint destruction. An increased demand for rheumatology healthcare professionals is anticipated in coming years; utilizing more nurse practitioners (NPs) in rheumatology may help meet this demand, and improve early detection and diagnosis of RA.MethodsThe American Association of Nurse Practitioners surveyed, via e-mail, members who were working in primary care settings to understand their educational and professional needs to help manage their patients with RA. Respondents were surveyed about their NP certifications, patient panel, information received from rheumatologists on shared patients, RA tools or resources that would be helpful, confidence in diagnosing and managing patients with RA, interest in learning about particular topics regarding RA medications, and preferences for exchanging educational information with their professional colleagues.ConclusionsThe results from this survey indicate that the role of NPs in managing RA could be optimized by improved communication with treating rheumatologists, access to educational tools and resources, and further education and training in the management of RA.Implications For PracticeNPs in primary care can fill a resource gap and provide access to health care for patients with RA.©2017 The Authors. Journal of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of American Association of Nurse Practitioners.

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