Specialty of Practice: In this study, specialty of practice is defined for those in patient care as
the reported specialty of the practice or facility in which NPs work in their main NP position.
Although three-quarters of the NP workforce reported having been certified in a primary care
specialty, less than half of those in patient care (48 percent) worked in a primary care office or
facility(see Exhibit 3). More than 16 percent were in internal medicine or pediatric
subspecialties, almost 9 percent were in surgical specialties, and 6 percent were in
psychiatry/mental health. Neonatal(3 percent), emergency care(3 percent), and palliative
care/pain management(2 percent) were the most frequently reported specialties in the “other”
category.