Nurses Masquerading As Doctors (INSULTING)

[djaychris]

The growing shortage of medical doctors, which will be made much worse by health care reform, will mean more and more patients are cared for entirely by "nurse specialists" and nurse practitioners, instead of physicians. Nurses are lobbying for increased prescribing privileges and for the right to be addressed as "doctor" in health care settings.

(link removed - the page is no longer available)

What do you guys think about this idiot, and the ignorant nonsense he is blabbering over on fox news? Kind of insulting to those of us who have spent years pursuing advanced degrees such as CNP, and often save lives and clean up messes made by arrogant, egotistical physicians...

[heartflutter, ADN, BSN]

If a nurse works hard and obtains his/her Doctorate in Nursing Practice to be a nurse practitioner he/she has the RIGHT to be addressed as a doctor. It's not the NP's fault he/she can do an MD's job for less money and sometimes do it better.

MDs and DOs do not have a monopoly on the doctorate degree or the title that goes along with it. My dentist, university professors, and primary care NP can all tell you that.

[oramar]

NP have been listening to this garbage for a long time.

[tyloo]

you do realize that psychiatrists have to have an md and then they complete a residency in psychiatry?

i am not defending the guy, but he did go to medical school. he has just as much education as any other physician and has a specialty in a mental field of study.

maybe you didn't understand my post. i realized he is a physician although his expertise is mental health.that is what i meant as apple to oranges or ranting about a field that he doesn't play on. his expertise is mental health not primary care or internal medicine the very same fields he ranting about being infiltrated by nurses masquerading as doctors. i was not discounting his education although he completely discounted the nursing education of us all. in the article did he once talk about the roles of the physician versus the roles of nurse practitioner? did he ever distinguish between the nursing and medical model of care?

[mazy]

There's your explanation

From his list of article topics are we sure that he doesn't work for The Onion?

[caroladybelle, BSN, RN]

"nurses masquerading as doctors (insulting)" is indeed insulting

.....to nurses.

[BabyLady, BSN, RN]

maybe you didn't understand my post. i realized he is a physician although his expertise is mental health.that is what i meant as apple to oranges or ranting about a field that he doesn't play on. his expertise is mental health not primary care or internal medicine the very same fields he ranting about being infiltrated by nurses masquerading as doctors. i was not discounting his education although he completely discounted the nursing education of us all. in the article did he once talk about the roles of the physician versus the roles of nurse practitioner? did he ever distinguish between the nursing and medical model of care?

...then you and i are in agreement :)

[SeeTheMoon]

If I or my loved one needs care, the bottom line is I want the care giver w/ the most experience. RN, NP, MD...doesn't matter at that point.

[kalevra, BSN, RN]

I would love to meet the nurse who introduces themselves as a Doctor. Can you imagine the legal ramifications, talk about out of scope of practice. No one in their right mind would do this, this article has to be total bull. Unless of course the FOXNEWS wants to divulge identities of parties involved.

As for the MD going through pre-med, then med-school, then residency, then specialty I would have to admit their path to be-coming whatever they are going for is harder on an academic level as compared to RN-MSN. The sacrifice on the other hand is

8-12 years in school, huge dept like $200,000 easy, no social life, constant fear of not making it into selection...and so on.

I understand what the article says though in some cases you would rather see a MD rather than an NP. Some things maybe solved without an MD, where an NP can intervene like prescriptions. There are other situations where an MD is a necessary like surgery. The writer is saying that if you got the cold hard cash, most people would rather pay for an MD to see them like a concierge doctor. Keep in mind that takes tons of cash, and if you had that kind of cash I don't think your the kind of person worried about health insurance. Those of us who do not run a Fortune 500 company will end up only being able to see a NP because of the skyrocketing cost of health insurance and what the insurance company is willing to cover.

[heartflutter, ADN, BSN]

I would love to meet the nurse who introduces themselves as a Doctor. Can you imagine the legal ramifications, talk about out of scope of practice. No one in their right mind would do this, this article has to be total bull.

A NP who holds a Doctorate in Nursing Practice may call themselves "Doctor" if they so wish, as far as I'm aware.

MDs don't have to introduce themselves as "Hi, I'm Dr. Smith, MD."

Just because medical doctors feel they have a monopoly on the title doesn't automatically invalidate every other non-medical doctorate degree holder's right to use the same title. They chose to take the "harder" route to be in a health care profession and good for them. We need doctors.

But with the health care system in the state it's in right now, MDs need to stop whining and let NPs step up and fill in the primary care spaces they're leaving oh-so wide open.

[PMFB-RN, RN]

The fact that the health insurance premiums of Americans won't even get them access to the minds of doctors in many clinics and ERs and even ORs (where nurse anesthetists work behind gowns and masks, just like anesthesiologists)

*** He actually has it backwards. When an anesthesiologists preform anesthesia THEY are doing it like nurse anesthetists. The NAs were the first providers of anesthesia and the first MDs who learned to do it learned from nurse anesthetists. Anesthesia is an (advanced) nursing role that was invaded by MDs when there started to be money in it.

[kcmylorn]

Isn't the original article written by an MD and a kookey one at that! Click on his name- look at some of topics this fellow has commented on and what his comments are.

I don't think NP's or DSN's ever had the intention of replacing the MD/DO's. I think it's a coming together of the ineviable. Nursing has been forced to be more sophisticated with advanced with technology at the bedside and the greater acuity of the patients. Nursing has been forced to do things that were once the realm of the physician only. example: starting IV's. Do anyone really think that every time an IV is now a days needed, a physican should be called to start it?. There's not that many physicians to go around. Would anyone really want a physican to start their IV's- Have any of you seen a physican try to start an IV- I HAVE- YEKS!!! I can remember the days when Verapamil( 1981 to be exact) was a 'Physican only' IV push drug. The drug is barely given IV push anymore. Nursing has evolved and so has it's body of knowledge and skill. I also remenber when not all nurses were required to do an assessment- Lung sounds, what is that??( again 1980's) once done on a daily basis by only ICU/ED nurses, now it's a standard practice requirement at the entry level into a hospital position.

NP's are more in numbers and take less time to educate and get out into practice than an MD/DO. And they are more cost effective than an MD. Doesn't mean one is better than the other. Iknow if some NP's who are more on the ball than some MD's Ive worked with. Nurses have been the MD's eyes and ears since old Flo Nightengale. The doctors went home,while the nurses stayed 24/7- charting and observing.

With the new healthcare reform- they are going to need the NP's- $45 million newly insured people, that's a big case load for a few MD's to handle alone. In primary care- the NP's will take the bulk and lead. The doctors will be more supervisory/consulting. In the rural areas- the NP's are the entire healthcare lifeline. Doctors want to make big bucks and rural medicine is not big bucks. I don't think any insurance is going to pay for a patient to see an MD if a NP is avail to provide the same care. If the patient wants to pay out of pocket- than that's on them. I don't think it's going to be the 'doctors office' anymore it's going to be the 'nurses' office- if your sick, you're going to the nurse's office.

Not that many younger generation want to be doctors anymore- the older ones don't want to be doctors anymore- Law suits! When Pres Clinton first got in office, he had townhallmeeting begging proscective medical students to go into Family Practice-there weren't many takers. Low wages and long hours. NP's are the logical answer to this void. the Dr. who wrote that article is also interested in commenting on the infidelities of the rich and famous(Schwartenager vs Schiever)

[EricJRN, MSN, RN]

Don't know about you guys, but "raw intellect" is the first thing I look for when seeking a new health provider.

But I won't pick too much on an article that's this old.