"but doctors are better than nurses"

imenid37 · Mar 1, 2006

Last weekend, the ER physician sent me a patient who was 18 weeks gestation with pain in the uppper abdomen for one week. Why if you've had it for a week do wait until Sat. night at 12 a.m. to be seen? I do not know. Pt. had a 4 year old who seemed to be driving her crazy in tow, but was not in any acute distress. Labs were ok and vs too. FH was auscultated by doppler in the ER. "She needs an NST and to be on the monitor for contractions." I politely explained to the doc that an NST could not be obtained on this patient and that the EFM was not really designed for a pt. of this gestation, even just for contractions. Did he want a vag exam? No he wanted me to do what the doctor asked. I told him no can do. It is not appropriate care for this patient. We palpated for contractions for 30 min. and auscultated FH again. We sent her back to the ER. This guy could not accept that he didn't know what he was talking about. He didn't want to listen to a nurse. He couldn't accept that I do have some expertise here and he has less in this particular respect. I wouldn't tell him anything about suturing or ACLS, but geez I do know what I am doing when it comes to evaluating this type of pt. The ironic thing is this guy is a nice man in general and he is married to a nurse.

StNeotser, ASN, RN · Mar 1, 2006

I just think the general public don't realize the difference in disciplines.

I also think that some members of the public liken the job of an RN to that of an aide, that all we do is make beds, take temperatures, do bed baths and showers and know nothing else.

Ask her on what knowledge and facts she based her opinion on, and then go on to tell her what you know through going to school and that the medical field and nursing field are two different things.

JeanettePNP, MSN, RN, NP · Mar 1, 2006

No one would say "well you can't live without a brain, and you can live without a hand, so I'll cut off my hands and take another brain instead."

(Not implying that doctors are all brains and nurses are all hands... I hope you get my point.)

TypicalFish · Mar 1, 2006

When patients come to the hospital, it is for nursing care...yes, they get medical treatment, but they also require 24 hour medical care. If they didn't, they would just be outpatients.

I think that you "hit the nail on the head" so to speak-there is a huge gulf between 'medical treatment' and 'medical care'; also I laugh at the thought of a hospital staffed only with MD's-nothing would get done, they'd all be fighting over what to do and who had to do it!

rgroyer1RNBSN, BSN, RN · Mar 1, 2006

oh i love this discussion who would actually care for the pts. i mean wouldnt it be scary not to have any nurses:uhoh21:

Blee O'Myacin, BSN, RN · Mar 1, 2006

I didn't see the resident suggesting ice packs for a patient's horrible hemmorhoids - but they did offer a PCA morphine pump for them (they were out of this world). After we iced those things for an hour, he was actually able to take a nap. (Mind you, this is post bone marrow transplant - other issues were at play, yet the 'roids were this patient's biggest issue that he reported)

But honestly, the two can't be compared. Medical shows depict MDs as unrealistically as they depict nurses. (but at least the MD stereotypes are not usually negative)

Angie O'Plasty · Mar 1, 2006

I didn't see the resident suggesting ice packs for a patient's horrible hemmorhoids - but they did offer a PCA morphine pump for them (they were out of this world). After we iced those things for an hour, he was actually able to take a nap. (Mind you, this is post bone marrow transplant - other issues were at play, yet the 'roids were this patient's biggest issue that he reported)
But honestly, the two can't be compared. Medical shows depict MDs as unrealistically as they depict nurses. (but at least the MD stereotypes are not usually negative)

Hey, nice username!!

smoke over fire · Mar 5, 2006

All this makes me think of my friend who just quit nursing stating "Doctor's help the pt more". Many people feel that MD's work less and get paid more, so why suffer? Afterall isn't that the attitude we get (or have) about a pHD in nursing? Why do so many (even) nurses think a having a pHD doesn't make you a better nurse?

jzkfel · Mar 5, 2006

Hey, I'd be glad if more doctors acted like the ones on House. They draw their own labs, bring patients to procedures, take time to get to know them...

chef2rn · Mar 5, 2006

You're friend is dead wrong. Doctors cannot do everything nurses can do. Doctors are very good at what they do, and that is doctoring. Nurses do nursing, and that is their field of expertise. The problem lies in everyone assuming that nurses are in the 'medical' field. Nurses are in the 'nursing' field. And until people realize that it is nurses that are experts in what they do, there will always be the misconception that they will always come second to doctors.

I work in a teaching hospital where the residents and experienced MDs depend on my ongoing assessments of our patients. We're a team. I do see my self as a medical professional. As nurses are expected to do more and more, and with expanding Advanced Practice options, the lines are becoming less distinct. I try to think like an MD when I'm reviewing orders--anticipating. I ask a lot of questions. I also try to educate MDs to think like nurses while they're writing orders. When I advocate for a patient, I am advocating for nurses also.

I've had doctors suggest that I go to medical school, which I take as a compliment and vote of confidence. The truth is, I don't want to have to study physics, O Chem, and calculus to do what I love, which is patient care. On the flip side, I've told doctors who are particularly thorough in their assessments and orders that they should have become nurses.

Nurses have more respect and responsibility than ever. I think the perception of nurses will shift even more when: 1) The pay rates continue to rise which will lead to 2) an increasingly talented and competetive pool of nursing school candidates and 3) more men entering the profession.

The other thing that needs to happen is a standardization of the profession, ie RN = bachelor's degree. After all, we all know that an MD means college + med school. If an MD could mean 2, 3 , or 4 years of school, it would sound like a quack profession.

Anyway I love nursing and medicine, and I wish doctors could do more of what nurses do, and that I could do more of what they do. Anything that would make it easier on the patients.

mkeep74 · Mar 5, 2006

The whole principle behind nursing is the holistic approach. The meaning of this is that we treat the whole person, not just the disease. We take into account their religion, culture and what their family life is like. Treating the disease is great! However, if it makes the person miserable in the long run it's no good. Nurses want to treat people. We want their QUALITY of life to be better. Doctors can treat the disease, but we treat the people. Some doctors get this, but most are still looking at the disease. This is the diffence between doctors and nurses. Many times it is the nurses who point out the mistakes to doctors and often bring them back to earth as far as the PATIENT is concerned. We do this because we are the ones with the patients all the time, and MD's simply don't have the time for it. Hope this answers your Question.

mctina_20 · Mar 5, 2006

in rank category yes. as a healthcare professional? no