[Kabin]

Originally Posted by tridil2000

I challenge every nurse who reads here to write to the Today show through this link and get at least 1 nurse friend to do it as well!

Up to the challenge???!!!!

Done deal.

[willtm]

The transcript is there to read, I could could not get the segment to play, however. NBC is notorious for this type of story and have in the past purposely set the story up to add drama just for their own benefit with no regard to the effects on the viewing public. Perhaps if they had included a 30 second statement from the NP that gave her the flu shot it would not have been as controversial and news worthy, but it might have been balanced and given viewers a truer picture of what the minute clinics offer. My local CVS has opened one and I have checked it out. Since it is right around the corner and I have 2 small kids I may very well be using it this winter as an alternative to sitting in the MD office waiting room packed with other sick kids for an hour or more.

As for the "cheap quickie" comments, it clearly degrades the clinics and the NP--by the way my local minute clinic is also staffed with PAs, which were not mentioned in the Today show spot. It's such a shame that providing convienient and affordable screenings, immunizations and diagnosis is degraded to a cheap quickie--health care does not have to be expensive to be good, unfortunately in the land of excess good and affordable to do not go hand in hand.

Originally Posted by Kabin

On 11/14/2005 NBC's Today show did a piece on the growth of NPs and the reporter suggested "autonomous NP care presents safety risks." I didn't see it, but apparently the reporter quoted AMA president "Dr. Edward Hill" without giving the nursing point of view.

The following site has a link to get involved in a letter writing campaign as well as view the video or read the transcript:

http://www.nursingadvocacy.org/news/.../14_today.html

[SMK1]

how about if i go on there with my story about visiting 6 (yes i said SIX!) M.D.'s within a 12 month period for horrible ear pain and sinus pain, and how EVERY TIME i ws diagnosed with a sinus infection, given antibiotics and sent on my way, no matter that this had been going on for MONTHS and i was trying to be pro-active by getting different opinions and none of the treatments were helping. Well one day i got an appointment with an NP mainly because i hadn't seen this pcp before and told here what had been going on and for how long and the other "diagnoses". She looked at me and said "honey, you have allergies, in order to stop the pressure and pain you have to get rid of the fluid buildup in your sinuses which is causing the pain, cold symptoms and dizziness. She prescribed claritin and an inhaler for my breathing issues druing allergy attacks, and i didn't have another problem. Now tell me that NP's are is inferior! I spent over 300 dollars in copays and lots more money on tests and drugs that were prescribed by the "superior M.D.'s, 6 of them rememer). the N.P. solved my problem in one meeting, whereas the doc's either couldn't "think outside the box" or just plain didn't care, not to mention that it couldn't have been a good idea for me to constantly be on antibiotics for almost a year for no real reason. (immunity anyone? have they never heard of anti-biotic resistant bacteria?) I am not saying that all Physicians are like this, and I personally feel that there are definite areas where an M.D. is needed at least for a consult, but then how is that different from the family practice M.D. that needs to refer out to I.M or another specialty?

[Jessy_RN]

These news reports are part of the problem. People seem to get their uneducated info from these sources rather than something be done to really educate and inform the public.

I don't like that they didn't show the NPs side of the coin.

[gauge14iv]

Action on this issue can be taken here:

http://www.nursingadvocacy.org/news/news.html


You can view the clip in it's entirety here:

http://media.vmsnews.com/MonitoringR...17/G000431915/

[Marie_LPN, RN]

Able to watch the clip from a website (audibility wasn't too clear, probably my computer) but still need to find a link to the transcript that is NOT at Nursing Advocacy's website.

[gauge14iv]

Jess - you are right about people believing what they hear in the media. I love when I have a patient who says - "But on Oprah they said if I had this symptom, I have OolaBoola disease and I need THIS medicine"

Had one family trying to tell a neonatologist what to do with their 24 weeker after watchin a segmant of "Special Delivery" on TLC!

Yup...folks is gullible...or they just don't look at the bigger picture...either way it's a problem.

[Q.]

Originally Posted by Marie_LPN

Able to watch the clip from a website (audibility wasn't too clear, probably my computer) but still need to find a link to the transcript that is NOT at Nursing Advocacy's website.

I'm curious; have you found Nursing Advocacy.org to NOT be reputable? What is the basis for not trusting them? And, what site WOULD you trust that hosted the link?

I doubt you're going to find a "free" transcript of the clip anywhere else. It's my understand the transcripts are bought - NA probably bought the transcript and posted it on their site.

[midwife2b]

Do we know what state this was in? Couldn't view the clip but
Geez. ANY urgent care center could be the target of similar "fast care". There is one in my community that advertises it is near a major shopping mall! It is next to a grocery store... and that doc surely knows those NP's are overseen by somebody with an MD after their name!

[Marie_LPN, RN]

Originally Posted by Q.

I'm curious; have you found Nursing Advocacy.org to NOT be reputable? What is the basis for not trusting them? And, what site WOULD you trust that hosted the link?

I doubt you're going to find a "free" transcript of the clip anywhere else. It's my understand the transcripts are bought - NA probably bought the transcript and posted it on their site.

I want to find a neutral source, that's all i'm going to say.

And it depends on what site hosts the link as to whether i'll trust it.