[ERNP]

The proposed DNP as entry level for NP by 2015 must have the AMA upset. Check out the bill in front of the house.

http://www.magnetmail.net/images/cli...h/BillText.pdf

[Softballmama]

Yeah, that doesn't surprise me.

[cgfnp]

Originally Posted by ERNP

The proposed DNP as entry level for NP by 2015 must have the AMA upset. Check out the bill in front of the house.

http://www.magnetmail.net/images/cli...h/BillText.pdf

I swear they're like children with toys they don't want to share. Years ago the statement wouldn't have included Osteopaths either.

[linzyann]

This sorta stinks like poo. I mean, I can understand the surgery issue, but not being able to write perscriptions? I don't think thats necessary.

http://www.magnetmail.net/images/cli...h/BillText.pdf

[nursetim]

I'm not entirely sure what this means. My take is that if you put yourself out as a Dr. you are toast. If however you ID yourself as an NP/PA and not a doctor, though you did stay at a holiday inn express . That should put your patients at ease.

[brownrice]

Okay, this is pretty clear to me.

It is saying that if you are not an MD, OD, or DDental med/Dental surgery, that you cannot imply, advertise or connote to the unsuspecting public that you are a doctor ready to practice to heal someone under the guise of being a "doctor". They are looking for a legal provision here....a legal right to put the hurt on anyone who might be doing this.

It is obviously directed as a precautionary strike against DNP's.

[linzyann]

If you check out number 2, it says something a little bit more specific.
"consumers believe that complex medical issues, surguries, procedures, and prescribing medication should be performed by medical doctors"
This is the only part I object to. I don't think its necessary for PAs and NPs to perform surgery, and complex medical issues should be referred to a doctor for oversight. However, I think that NPs and PAs should be able to prescribe medication.

[brownrice]

Notice the wording is medical doctors. Not just doctors. They are opposing nursing doctorates or "doctors of nursing". The AMA is not just now setting out to quash the scope and rights of midlevels. It's a little late for that.

[elkpark]

The point is simply to protect the term "doctor" in healthcare, which the public understands to mean MD/DO/dentists, the same as the RNs in every state have gotten legislation to make it illegal to identify yourself as an RN if you're not licensed as such. The proposed bill has nothing to do with practice. They are not "opposing" doctoral degrees for nurses; they just don't want people with those degrees to create any confusion about whether they're advanced practice nurses or physicians by going around calling themselves "Dr. So and So" in the clinical setting without being clear about their discipline/role. In the case of midlevel providers, "if it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck," that doesn't necessarily make it a duck! While I don't think this is organized medicine's finest hour, I don't have any problem with that basic idea. It's unfortunate that the term "doctor" has always been associated so strongly with physicians here in the US, when there are so many different kinds of people who have doctoral degrees, but that's the reality of the situation and it's not going to change any time soon.

I, as an advanced practice nurse myself, would have a v. serious problem with any non-MD/DO healthcare provider who presented her/himself to me as "Dr. (whomever)" without clarifying that s/he was not a physician.

[jer_sd]

I think it is also targeting ODs and DCs. Both of these proffesions are frequently called doctor. In addition the part where if you are not a MD/DO/DDS you can not claim to have equivilent training. How does this work if say a DC finished a 3 year chiropractic radiology residency, or an OD completes a residency in ocular disease management? Both of thoes providers would be doctors who completed residencies and can be board certified. Would they then have to say

"I am dr. Xxx. An OD who is board certified in ocular disease, I am not a md I did not attend medical school, my residency was in optometric management of ocular disease so I am not equal to a physician"

I think this is just a way for the AMA to keep all other providers working subservient to mds. Probably the DNP was part of it but look at advances That PT has made with a push for direct access, ODs getting better rx rights, NDs becoming licensed in more states, acupuncturists now pushing for doctorial degree as well. All proffesions increase their scope of practice which makes physicians nervous.