Nurses Masquerading As Doctors (INSULTING)

Nurses Activism

Published

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.

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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...

Specializes in Med-Surg, NICU.
The whole "Couldn't get in to med school" angle is such complete hogwash. Most doctors I know had rich Daddies that had deep pockets. It's real easy to get in to med school when one doesn't have to work to pay for school.

No...it is not easy to get into med school. Being rich doesn't get you into med school. Having great grades, work experience, professor recommendations, and MCAT scores do.

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Specializes in Psych, Ortho, Stroke, and TBI.
no...it is not easy to get into med school. being rich doesn't get you into med school. having great grades, work experience, professor recommendations, and mcat scores do.

nobody said "being rich gets you into med school." sure it's hard work, but it's a hell of a lot easier when one comes from money...you can't deny that. when one is pre-med, not having to do work-study, work at a local restaurant, pay rent, or buy food, sure makes studying less difficult. people like that can dedicate 100% of their energy in to studies.

literally every resident (except one) currently at my hospital (an acute rehab we've got 13 residents) have family support to the extent that none of them had to worry about rent during their undergrad or throughout med school. hell, half of them are being supported during their residency. i'm not saying all docs are trust fund babies, but it's rare you come across the md that worked full time during undergrad and med school. not saying "never" sure their are exceptions...but rare.

being able to afford tuition to a super competitive university helps as well.

so yeah, i stand by my statement, it's hogwash.

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I could hardly make it through this entire article. It is doctors like this one that are the EXACT reason that millions of people perfer to see thier nurse practitioner rather than physican in times of need. The want excellent, personalized care from someone who hears what they have to say and takes thier own opinions and concerns into effect when deciding how to best care for the issue at hand. Frankly, there are very few, and getting fewer, doctors who can do this.

As for enterance into medical school, it must not be that hard, they don't even require that you speak english anymore.

The bounderies for advanced practice nurses are ever changing as the needs change. No nurse I know would ever want to be addressed as 'doctor' so I'm really not sure where that is coming from. The problem with the system is the lack of communication. You can't, as a physican, refuse to do your job and whine and cry until your NP does it for you and then be made that she requires extra credentials and permissions to do so. You cannont have your cake and eat it too. In order to enjoy the benefits of an APN on your service, and ask the docs that have them versus the ones that don't and you'll see the quality of work and life are better for those that do, and not allow them some freedoms.

It is because of doctors that the APN is stuck 'behind the mask' working under their license, because if something was to go wrong the hospital, which is owned by the doctor, doesn't back the nurse. The nurse isn't even billed seperatly for thier services and expertise, we are lumped into the cost of the room in most cases. It is this system that needs to change in order for the APN to be more independent of the MD. Until then we'll keep cleaning up their mess, showing up when they won't and answering the call when they refuse to pick up the phone.

Whew....I feel better. But yes, this doctors article was a poor attempt at bashing Obama care, which has nothing to do with the utilization of APNs as that has been unchanged for decades.

It actually is hard for "entrance" into medical school as the pre-requisites are not an easy feat to overcome. Have you ever heard of organic chemistry and physics at a university level? Sure, with alot of hard work and endless amounts of studying I am sure some(less then more) people can tackle this venture, but the overall consensus would be that pre-med is very difficult. It is much more difficult then a university nursing program.

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Specializes in Emergency & Trauma/Adult ICU.

Nobody said "Being rich gets you into med school." Sure it's hard work, but it's a hell of a lot easier when one comes from money...you can't deny that. When one is pre-med, NOT having to do work-study, work at a local restaurant, pay rent, or buy food, sure makes studying less difficult. People like that can dedicate 100% of their energy in to studies.

Literally every resident (except one) currently at my hospital (an acute rehab we've got 13 residents) have family support to the extent that none of them had to worry about rent during their undergrad or throughout med school. Hell, half of them are being supported DURING THEIR RESIDENCY. I'm not saying all docs are trust fund babies, but it's rare you come across the MD that worked full time during undergrad and med school. Not saying "never" sure their are exceptions...but RARE.

Being able to afford tuition to a super competitive university helps as well.

So yeah, I stand by my statement, it's hogwash.

At any given time of the year I work closely with 30-40 residents in various specialties. They come from every conceivable background. Some come from across town, some from the other side of the globe. There are those whose families have funded their education entirely, and there are those who were graduates of public high schools, state universities, and who face starting out their adult lives with upwards of a quarter of a million dollars of educational debt. A sizable number have provided or will provide service to their country partly out of a sense of commitment and partly as a way of reducing that debt.

Interestingly, as my large hospital annually hires a fairly large number of new graduate nurses from BSN programs ... I also work with a number of 22 - 23 year old nurses whose educations have been entirely supported by their families, and who are living a little bit large in the big city, with their incomes supplemented by their families.

Oh, and I sure do want that person prescribing my meds or performing procedures on me to have had to dedicate 100% of their energy to their studies.

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Specializes in Med-Surg, NICU.

Nobody said "Being rich gets you into med school." Sure it's hard work, but it's a hell of a lot easier when one comes from money...you can't deny that. When one is pre-med, NOT having to do work-study, work at a local restaurant, pay rent, or buy food, sure makes studying less difficult. People like that can dedicate 100% of their energy in to studies.

Literally every resident (except one) currently at my hospital (an acute rehab we've got 13 residents) have family support to the extent that none of them had to worry about rent during their undergrad or throughout med school. Hell, half of them are being supported DURING THEIR RESIDENCY. I'm not saying all docs are trust fund babies, but it's rare you come across the MD that worked full time during undergrad and med school. Not saying "never" sure their are exceptions...but RARE.

Being able to afford tuition to a super competitive university helps as well.

So yeah, I stand by my statement, it's hogwash.

But at the end of the day, even those rich students had to work their asses off to get in, so your point that it is "easy" to get into Med school is moot and grossly inaccurate.

I also want to add that there are plenty of poor foreign students, especially from India, who have made it into Med school over many rich American students.

I think you are making too many generalizations, and that is very dangerous.

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That's because Obamacare is a disaster! This man is an ass but defending Obamacare is just as silly.

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Specializes in Med Surg, Tele, PH, CM.

A wise man once told me: "You really can't help someone who is hurt, scared, or angry."

Beg to differ akulahawk, this is what nurses do best.... every day.

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Specializes in ED.

I agree with the many posters that said this guy is just trying to p*** people off. To me his opinion is worthy only of being printed off and used when toilet paper is unavailable.

I'll agree that med school must be harder than nursing school. They have to understand physiology and pharmacology to a level I would love to learn but have not been required to yet. Granted, I only went to school for 2 years plus the time I took for prereq's.

BUT...

I didn't become a nurse because I couldn't have or wouldn't have gotten into medical school. I am a nurse because I want to spend my time talking to patients, in their rooms, giving the meds, helping them in times they hoped they would never experience. No one honestly wants to wipe someone else's rear or assess the quality of their vomit. However if me being there to do it made the experience better or helped save a life then sign me up. Doctors, er, physicians get their job done because we are there to do these things, to let them know "my patient has coffee-ground emesis," to push the meds they order. They do their assessment and determine course of treatment. They shoulder an enormous amount of liability. I wouldn't want their job any more than they want mine.

As for this guy, ten bucks says he had $$$ in his eyes when he went into med school. I bet that's why he is in psych, too, so he would never have to get his hands dirty from touching a sick person, and perhaps so he could catch a few winks for $300/hour. Just a guess. And yes, I only mean THIS guy, not any other psychiatrists by any means. I make no blanket statements.

T

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Specializes in ED.

Oops I rambled and went far off topic! As for nurses calling themselves "Doctor" I suppose that is up to the individual and the environment they are in. Honestly I don't understand why a nurse would want to be addressed as anything but their first name by patients. IMHO part of the role of nurse as advocate is to relate to patients, and using first-names sets a relaxed tone I would hope patients can have with me. I will, of course, address them as Mr. or Mrs. until they tell me otherwise. I don't think there is any reason why the nurse can't state their credentials just as a mid-level does. They also use first names but assure the patient they are getting adequate care by letting them know their qualifications.

I worked in the ED for a while and last names were not given to the patients and left off our name tags. The inpatient units of the same hospital referred to nurses as "Miss" and "Mrs." Ick. If I heard my last name I would look around for my mother-in-law!

T

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one of my best friends is married to and MD and is so offended that another friend currently pursuing her DNP wants to be called Dr. she says that NO ONE will EVER call her Dr, because she's not and she shouldn't be because she didnt put as much time and effort, or work as hard as her husband to get his MD. its ridiculous! you call a PhD Dr, why not a DNP?????!!!!!

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The whole "Couldn't get in to med school" angle is such complete hogwash. Most doctors I know had rich Daddies that had deep pockets. It's real easy to get in to med school when one doesn't have to work to pay for school.
Well this is just ridiculous. First, no one is forced to work through undergraduate education. Second, I know plenty of doctors who did work through undergrad.Finally, put your money where your mouth is if it is so easy to get into medical school. Get into medical school and then we can talk.
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No one works through medical school. There is no time. Almost every student takes out the full amount of loans to go to medical school. Very few people in my class had their parents paying for everything. So it makes no difference if you come from money or not. This is also why the average medical school debt is $160,000

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