Describing the Role of Advanced Practice Providers in Trauma Centers: A Cross-Sectional Survey

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BACKGROUND: Advanced practice providers (APPs) are integral members of trauma teams who demonstrate improved quality of care, patient throughput, and decreased costs. Trauma standards state that APPs who have a defined role caring for trauma patients must be adequately prepared to do so. However, specific educational requirements and competencies remain poorly defined. The most recent national surveys on trauma APPs were conducted in 2013 and 2014, leaving a significant gap in the literature. OBJECTIVE: To describe the current demographic composition of APPs within trauma centers, their education, certification, roles on the team, and provider-to-patient ratios. METHODS: This quantitative, descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted between August 4 and September 28, 2025. A 26-item online survey was distributed via email to members of the American Trauma Society, using convenience and snowball sampling. RESULTS: Survey links were accessed 90 times; 53 participants initiated the survey, and 43 completed it. Of those who initiated the survey, 81.1% (43/53) completed it. Respondents represented 15 states, with Pennsylvania accounting for the largest proportion at 54.7% (29/53). Approximately 13.2% (7/53) of the APPs had doctoral degrees. Increased variability in nurse practitioner educational preparations was noted. Experience caring for traumatically injured patients averaged 8.6 (SD = 7.72) years. Nearly 66 percent (65.9%, 29/44) of the participants had leadership responsibility, 36.4% (16/44) performed research, and 29.5% (13/44) authored publications. CONCLUSIONS: Trauma APPs represent diverse educational backgrounds, certifications, and responsibilities, with provider-to-patient ratios varying widely across settings. Educational requirements remain minimally defined and are primarily limited to advanced trauma life support certification. Standardized trauma-specific competencies are needed to ensure consistent high-quality care.

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