Battling the “Imposter”

Abstract

In the face of ever-evolving shifts in health care, the demand for advanced practice providers (APPs), including nurse practitioners and physician assistants, continues to grow as the nation faces provider shortages and increased patient complexity. Because of different educational backgrounds and previous professional experience, there is a gap in readiness for practice following completion of academic programs, leading to high rates of turnover and financial implications for health care institutions. The creation of APP fellowship programs is a strategy many health institutions implement to provide enhanced support for new graduate APPs. These programs offer fully licensed and credentialed nurse practitioners and physician assistants additional experience within medical specialty areas. The establishment and operational cost associated with an APP fellowship program is a significant barrier health systems face. This article discusses how Saint Luke's Health System developed an APP fellowship program to address these barriers. The model addresses specific fellow needs and has contributed to improved employee retention rates, increased clinical competency, and overall provider satisfaction within Saint Luke's Health System. The evolution of the model, successes, barriers, and opportunities for future program growth are discussed within this article.