As well as you, I believe that new NPs need a physician mentor to facilitate their role development. How long? I am not sure. But in my opinion, after 6 month or 1 year of practice an NP is still a novice. According to the Benner's model, than emphasizes skill acquisition of health care professionals, the transition from novice to proficient takes about 3 to 5 years, with more than 5 years needed to become an expert. I want to be proficient and provide care with the utmost confidence before working autonomously. Thus, I like state laws that allow NPs to work independently only after a 3-year collaboration with a physician. Thank you for your
