Docs as nurses?

suzanne4, RN · Jan 3, 2006

I have worked with them for years and there has never been any issues for me. Nursing in the US is quite different than it is in the Philippines to begin with. Responsibilities for the RN are also much greater in the US. Nurse here are required to do a head to toe assessment on their patients each shift, and that is including breath sounds as well as heart tones.

Finding murmurs before the doctor and any other acute factor is not ususual here as well.:wink2:

nurse_MD · Jan 3, 2006

Thanks for the info.. i'm glad that former MDs who became nurses are doing fine in their new careers.. I think that being MDs kinda help a lot in the clinical assessment of caring for the patients...Not that nursing school did not teach new stuff... but i guess being a doctor before becoming a nurse and going thru the rigors of training as a nurse make one more shall i say balance?? in patient care...

For one i learned a lot in the nursing care of my patients which i didn't learned in my medical studies... :lol2: Now i can combine both worlds...clinical eye and the therapeutic communication , and a lot more..emphasized in dealing with our patients...

nrswnabee · Jan 3, 2006

docs as nurses? i say "why not?" it's the person's decision. for sometime, i felt it was..duh....(you trained to give the orders and now you're training to take the orders) but i figure, people are just different...values and all. i learned to accept the peculiar trend easily this way. just a few months ago, i met a pinoy who graduated with a decent law degree. he's now taking nursing here in the us. and he's perfectly happy with his decision. who's to question him?? oh life, parang buhay...

lawrence01 · Jan 3, 2006

There should be no problem about it. I really don't know why some RNs make a fuss about it here in the Phils. My guess is that some nursing prof. here and maybe even some members of the BON have been giving them a bad rap. Where else could these new grads get it from?

There are lots of employment opportunities for everyone for YEARS to come.

Second coursers are not here to grab slots from the 1st coursers. Everyone is getting the same board exams and would be going thru the same process.

I think what delays the 1st coursers are the very same persons who are giving the 2nd coursers the bad rap by willing or unwillingly mis-informing them. How? Some examples would be informing them that they need another 1-2 years training or work experience here in the Phils. before they even think of applying for anything. Another would be to inform them to do first the CGFNS exam (that's why there are still LOTS who are doing it, eventhough its really being phased out as a req't for majority of states). Hospitals are in these too (some willingly and some unwillingly). Some in conivance with the affiliate school to provide new grads for "training" for measly "allowances" while some give "training" for a big fee. There are more "rackets" to take advantage of the RNs here and mostly those who fall for these traps are the 1st coursers and the one who gets the bad rap are the 2nd coursers. The only reason why 2nd coursers are relatively faster because they don't easily fall to this traps and immediately apply to where ever they want to work.

It's a vicious cycle.

Those who have already worked as RN (in a hospital setting) doesn't have problems with the career shifters they even admire them because they're willing to do it for each and everyone's own valid reasons. You may even hear male MDs who have a relationship w/ a nurse or married to a nurse are willing to shift just to be with them. Hence, we now see lots of male MDs shifting to RN careers. Before, male MDs have to think at least 10x to shift to an RN. It's hard enough to shift careers but to shift from a male dominated profession to a female dominated profession is harder. Ofcourse, there's the famous line of "To have a better future for my family". Bottomline is, it's not only the financial reasons as most would perceive it.

Btw, its not just MDs shifting to nursing careers anymore. A good cross-section of Fil. professionals are shifting. Accountants, lawyers, dentists, just to name a few.

These are all just my opinion and observations. :smokin:

Rep · Jan 3, 2006

This a free country and if Filipino doctors want to be nurses so that they can improve their lot, give their children a better future, and live and work in the US. That is fine.

I am currently working as a medical representative although I'll be resigning next week. Some of the doctors I am covering now are newly licensed RN with dreams to go to the US. I have also a few doctor friends who took nursing as their pre-med and are now working on their CGFNS, NCLEX or petition.

Nothing wrong with MDs becoming RNs.

pinoy_guy · Jan 5, 2006

I have worked with them for years and there has never been any issues for me.

Wow, a thread that does not bash MD/RNs!

What a relief.

There had been so many attacks on MD/RNs in the tri-media, it's like a background sound.

Some people had even posted their disdain in this forum.

I can't understand the hatred some people have against MD/RNs, some calling them "traitors" for "breaking their oath."

In my opinion, if you haven't been in another's shoes, you are in no position to pass judgment on how "greedy" or "ambitious" a person is.

Doctors are human too, they need money for food, clothing, and shelter.

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs could partly explain the current phenomenon.

In a nation of Catholics, it is incredible how a lot of people haven't learned the lesson about casting the first stone.

Thanks Suzanne. :)

nina9404 · Jan 13, 2006

thanks for the info.. i'm glad that former mds who became nurses are doing fine in their new careers.. i think that being mds kinda help a lot in the clinical assessment of caring for the patients...not that nursing school did not teach new stuff... but i guess being a doctor before becoming a nurse and going thru the rigors of training as a nurse make one more shall i say balance?? in patient care...
for one i learned a lot in the nursing care of my patients which i didn't learned in my medical studies... now i can combine both worlds...clinical eye and the therapeutic communication , and a lot more..emphasized in dealing with our patients...

i agree!

IseeU_rn · Jan 17, 2006

Why do people give ex-MDs a hard time when they want to switch to nursing? Is it because they feel that one is "downgrading" to nursing? That one is "selling out" to the phenomenon of migration through employment? It's a shame that our country (Philippines) is considered democratic, but then we scowl at and reprimand issues involving personal choices. Andaming bawal. Plus, pinoy guy is right, our religion teaches us to not be judgemental, and yet...

With regards to MDs becoming nurses, in my experience, I don't see any difference in practices, you couldn't even tell unless you know them personally.

Also, we now have Nurse Practitioners (NP) who are like MDs. They can write orders, prescribe, round with MDs, work in clinics and have/see their own patients (of course ,they need to work/practice under/supervised by an MD still), etc... But still, kinda like an MD but without 100 years of med school (alright, exaj but hey, i bet it feels like it!) :).. so maybe the ex-MDs who really want to be MDs and at the same time a nurse, they can be NPs... Have the best of both worlds.

eznal · Feb 5, 2006

I just cant understand the mentality of some who resort to name-calling and judging other people's decision on what path to pursue in their lives. There is even one thread here wherein someone mentioned that doctors are shifting to nursing after finding out they will not get a lot of money in their profession. After being noble and serving this country for the longest time, and now finally deciding to secure the future of their loved ones, these doctors get the bashing.

Majority are not like these people, however. And we oh soooo love them. These are the very secure ones, the more highly respected in this field, those that provide us with the inputs. Thank you, happy people!

Agree wih nurse_md and nina9404. Therapeutic Communication- we should take this to heart. One of the best we've learned. And this is rarely emphasized in medical school.

DutchgirlRN, ASN, RN · Feb 5, 2006

I have never heard of this. Years ago we had a nurses appreciation day and the docs all agreed to be nurses for an hour. What a joke, they could not do anything. One doc came to me, said follow me, we went into a room and he pointed "look", there was BM everywhere from the bed to the bathroom. He said "I think my hour is up" and promptly disappeared 45 mintues before quitting time. Later he said to me "I have a whole new appreciation for you, I knew you were smart and I respect you but gees you have a very hard job!" I think we should have such a day at least once a year. How many times do they turn on the call light "please come fix this beeping". Yes sir, I'm on my way.

lawrence01 · Feb 5, 2006

I just cant understand the mentality of some who resort to name-calling and judging other people's decision on what path to pursue in their lives. There is even one thread here wherein someone mentioned that doctors are shifting to nursing after finding out they will not get a lot of money in their profession. After being noble and serving this country for the longest time, and now finally deciding to secure the future of their loved ones, these doctors get the bashing.
Majority are not like these people, however. And we oh soooo love them. These are the very secure ones, the more highly respected in this field, those that provide us with the inputs. Thank you, happy people!
Agree wih nurse_md and nina9404. Therapeutic Communication- we should take this to heart. One of the best we've learned. And this is rarely emphasized in medical school.

I agree w/ your post too. :clown:

I know the post/thread you're talking about. Hope she/he gets a lot of warnings for those remarks but she won't get it if no one complains on that particular post (by clicking the warning sign). Anyway, she's not an active poster anymore or had changed her username since then.