Estimated read time: 3-4 minutes
- Nurse practitioners in Utah can practice independently, expanding health care access.
- In 2023, Gov. Spencer Cox signed a law enabling nurse practitioners to provide comprehensive care.
- Patients appreciate nurse practitioners for their affordability, the time they spend with patients, and bedside manner.
OGDEN — Mitchell Cobia was all set to become an engineer when a family member's emergency health care experience changed his mind.
Cobia studied nursing at Weber State University then continued his studies to become a registered nurse and, later, a nurse practitioner in 2020.
One day, he and his wife received a bill for a procedure with a medical doctor that, as a nurse, he knew did not take long to perform or analyze and should not cost so much. His world then changed forever.
"I was flabbergasted. I couldn't believe they charged so much for something I knew could be taken care of pretty quickly," Cobia said. "It made me think, 'Wouldn't it be nice if there was an option to know what the costs are first?' I thought when I opened my own clinic, that's what I would do: let everyone know what the prices are up front."
In March 2023, Gov. Spencer Cox signed SB36 into law, giving nurse practitioners the ability to practice without the oversight of a medical doctor. Nurse practitioners can now provide much of the care a medical doctor can — prescribe medicines, order and analyze lab tests, diagnose and treat diseases, and more — providing an option for those who do not have access to a medical doctor as well.
Utah is the 27th state to expand what is called "full practice authority" to its residents. Every state in the Mountain West provides such authority, as do most rural states in the nation with a doctor shortage. Utah has such a shortage, according to Utah Nurse Practitioners, Utah Department of Health and Human Services, and the American Medical Association, and the expanded authority has been welcomed.
Nearly two years after the law's enactment, nurse practitioners have opened practices all over the state, including cities such as Ogden and Salt Lake City, Utah Nurse Practitioners report. The health department notes it does not have a full tally of how many nurse practitioners have opened clinics in the last two years, but it has heard from residents that the addition of this kind of practice is positive.
Mary Ann Majors has been going to medical doctors for years, like most. But when she needed to seek some medical attention — and discovered she would have a one-month wait to see her doctor, a friend suggested seeing a nurse practitioner. She was skeptical at first — "I thought, if they knew what they were doing, wouldn't they be doctors?" — but she went anyway.
She's happy she did.
"I'm nearly 85 years old, so (what) I have always been told is, 'You go to the doctor when something doesn't feel right,'" said that Salt Lake City resident. "But I took a chance last year and was happy with it. That's why I'm here today. I trust her now. And I tell other people to see nurse practitioners, too. Even though I just keep asking her, if you can do just about everything a doctor can, why not just be a doctor?"
An article published in the National Library of Medicine found that once patients saw a nurse practitioner, they appreciated their experience — and the lower price tag. Research respondents and local nurse practitioners stated that the bedside manner of the nurse practitioners was what patients said brought them back to one. Research respondents also noted they felt that nurse practitioners spent more time with them compared to the traditional doctor's visit of 10-15 minutes. That was also a plus.
Although he may have had a bad time with a medical doctor, Cobia reminds everyone that there are nurse practitioners who are great, and there are medical doctors who are great.
The positive to him is there are now options in Utah, and that is a good thing for everyone.
"Don't rely on the letters behind someone's name. Look for the quality of care that will work for you," he said. "But in general, it's just good that there is competition with the (medical doctors) ... that should help lower health care costs."
