Why is the US healthcare system so full of "mini-doctors"?

[Lvdovicvs.Angelvs]

Hello. My name's Luis Angel, and I'm a clinical laboratory technician student here in Mexico.

My question is: why is the US healthcare system full of "mini-doctors"? like nurse practitioners, physician assistants, I could even include EMT-Paramedics, and such. In Mexico, this is a foreign concept.

As I said before, I'm a CLT student. Although we have reviewed what an arterial puncture is, we have been warned that that procedure is done usually by doctors. And although we review signs and symptoms of the diseases, the teacher has told us that they have removed treatment from the syllabus, because some started to treat people. We review signs and symptoms because the teachers keep in mind that most of us (not me) want to enter to medical school.

And I'm sorry if I offend anyone, but, to me, the "mini-doctors" model looks like laziness, doing more studying less. But I'm unfamiliar with the system so I don't know.

Your answers are appreciated

Greetings.

[BrandonLPN, LPN]

Well,at the risk of offending the OP, I would counter that perhaps Mexico's field of medicine and of nursing haven't yet reached a sufficient level of sophistication to warrant the existence of PAs and NPs there.

[blondy2061h, MSN, RN]

Again, some CNA's do give IM injections, in the system. There are CNA's that are also med techs who give injections in long term care settings. An NP to a physician would be like a CNA who has worked as a CNA for some time going back to school an gaining ability to do some of what a nurse does. Essentially we already have this with med courses and such. Further, a CNA could go to LPN school and become a nurse. This is not the same as a nurse going to med school as they are both on the nursing career path, where medicine isn't. Medicine and nursing are separate, both with their own terminal degrees.

For someone that lives in Mexico you seen to know a lot about the US and European healthcare systems. Please let me know what country it is that is routinely using physicians as first responders, other than "Europe," which tells me nothing.

[OCNRN63, RN]

Don't worry. I know that what I do and what I know could be learned and done by any fool. It doesn't take a special person to be a clinical lab tech.

I won't go to MD school because I'm not interested. Most of my classmates want to apply for medical school, but I don't. You can dismiss my question as trolling. It's not a big deal.

Now, I would like you to think about this: Would you be OK with CNAs applying IM medication?

Greetings

I'm calling this from the "student doctor" website. It reads straight out of their playbook with screeds against midlevel practitioners.

[MessyMomma]

Please!!! Stop!

Ugh..

[ixchel]

Before starting school, when my heart was in obstetrics, I did some massive soul searching. I've been a stay at home parent for years, so my salary isn't missed (although will be nice when it arrives because we're broke!), and I have the time to go through the right program for me. I decided I like the nursing model better. Sure the salary of an obstetrician would be nice, but that's not the point of what I'm doing. I am happy to make half as much money after being trained to perform care that is within the nursing model. And I am far from being lazy.

I was lucky enough to have the choice be entirely in my own hands. Others have to consider the financial aspect, the length of time in school (not for laziness's sake, but for the sake of having an income), location of viable programs.... There are so many different reasons why we choose the route we do, and absolutely NONE of those reasons is based on laziness. Simply getting into nursing school requires a level of drive and ambition that is simply unparalleled by anything I've encountered. When you're finished your first step, whether it be LPN, ADN-RN or BSN-RN, you take a job where you are underpaid and undervalued by many (if not most?). A very large number of programs require the clinical experience of an RN for 1-2 years before you can get into their graduate schools. If you're fortunate enough to be able to do a graduate program, you're looking at 2 years full time, more if you go part time, and then many employers want you to have a lengthy preceptorship-esque period with them before you are able to practice without their continuous, active supervision. No, the length of time in programs isn't as long as the length of time in medical school. And the scope of practice is different. Many states require direct supervision or a contractual collaboration with a physician for practice.

I can't speak to PAs because I know next to nothing about their programs and requirements, but I do know an NP generally becomes an NP because they want to be an NP.

On another note, I think perhaps the physicians on ambulances might have come from the French model. If I recall correctly (and I might not), the French utilize nurses and physicians in their EMS system so that they can treat at home when possible and lower hospitalizations. It lowers costs, ultimately, and gives an opportunity for more specialized care at home, or the site of injury. I am actually a fan of this, but I don't know that our current health care model and approach would really have the ability to support this financially.

[BlueDevil,DNP, DNP, RN]

Even if the OP wasn't posing a serious question, I still find the meta discussion concerning the differences in practice in other areas interesting. Surely we can carry on without him, as he has had his original question addressed and perhaps has nothing else to add.

[windsurfer8, BSN, RN]

He is trying to make people mad offending them.

[Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN]

MODERATOR NOTE: This thread has been heavily edited.

As per the Terms of Service allnurses promotes....

the idea of lively debate. This means you are free to disagree with anyone on any type of subject matter as long as your criticism is constructive and polite. We ask you to please refrain from name-calling. This is divisive, rude, and derails the thread. Our first priority is to the members that have come here because of the flame-free atmosphere we provide. There is a zero-tolerance policy here against personal attacks. We will not tolerate anyone insulting other's opinion nor name calling.

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I think the OP got the answers he was seeking...thread closed for review.