Since the initiation of the nurse practitioner movement in the mid-1960's, numerous studies have documented the successful use of nurse practitioners in family practice. Fewer studies, however, have attempted to determine the attitudes of family physicians toward employment of nurse practitioners. The issue of attitudinal acceptance and employment is of more than theoretical interest to all nurse practitioners; it is a most vital concern to those students who are now completing their educational and clinical preparation.To some physicians, the nurse practitioner movement may appear as a challenge; for within this role, nurses are asking for a greater share of responsibilities and rewards. However, other physicians may conclude the benefits of employing nurse practitioners outweigh any anticipated costs. What major factors in the setting, the clientele and the physician himself account for these differences in attitudes?A survey of 140 family physicians in northern California identified several major factors affecting attitudes toward employment. Physicians who have been in practice for shorter lengths of time and who have had some prior experience with nurse practitioners are most receptive to employment. Secondly, physicians located in rural clinics are more willing to consider employment than are those located in urban solo practices. Finally, physicians with a higher proportion of female clients are more receptive to employment than are the physicians with a more even sex distribution among their patients.