Can I be a Nurse Prac?

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I just came accross this in DR's forum

Can I be a Nurse Prac?

Apparently there is now a blurring of roles between doctors and nurses. What a load of Chelsea.

Nurses are taking on doctor's roles. They are sitting in clinics, clerking, doing procedures in theatre. We are not taking on their roles, doing obs, changing beds, administering medication, setting up infusions etc.

Also, none of these Nurse Pracs/Clinical Nurse Specialists etc are doing any nursing jobs anymore either. Despite their crticism of the way nursing care has gone downhill and how it would never happen when they were on the ward. (Perhaps they should not have left?)

Anyway, point is, if any of us are stuck for a job any time soon, would there be any reason we could not apply to be Nurse Practitioners? I agree, I have never been a nurse, I don't have a clue about being one but is that really necessary for the job?

It's the same argument they use for not needing to go to medical school, do three years as an SHO and pass a membership exam to do theirs.

Plus it would be nice to have a uniform. The nurses would actually take notice of what I was saying for once. I'd have more say on trust policy issues. This is where the real power lies.

Perhaps this is the way forward.

What do other nurses think?

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NPs in most hospitals i've worked in wear their own clothes.

But to answer your question: No Avad, you can't be a nurse practitioner. You don't need to hold hands with another nurse to form a synapse. You would never fit in.

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And more !!!

Uniform is not required.

The clipboard is the real mark of authority . . .

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Go for it. You might get a chance to use your surgical skills, instead of just doing paperwork.

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The Noctors are nearly all in place to replace junior doctors, in case they ever go on strike.As its the same familiar faces doing a bit of extra work, and there is no problem to them..yet..senior doctors will shrug their shoulders and carry, as they have mortgages to pay and families to feed and clothe.

The day that this is going to happen is not in a far away Sci Fiction story, but is a fast fast approaching reality.

It is too late to stop the Juggernaut and many here laugh it off only for self reassurance.

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Specializes in Advanced Practice, surgery.

Paris I wouldn't worry to much about what is written in the doctors forums, there will always be those who don't like new nursing roles and who will find things about what nurse practitioners do to complain about.

I see my role very much as a nurse role, I am there to support and help the junior doctors not to replace them. We are struggling to fill some of our junior doctor posts and because of that there are big deficeits in pateint care and with the european working time directive reducing further this problem is going to get worse.

I wouldn't still be nursing if I had to stay at ward level, I have the utmost respect for nurses who stay and work on the wards because it is the hardest job in the world, but where I am I can make a difference to my patients and support both nursing and medical staff with the knowledge and skills that I have built up over the last 20 years.

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Specializes in ICU.

As for 'noctor' an advanced night practitioner said that it is maxi-nurse, not mini-doctor.

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Specializes in Advanced Practice, surgery.

I honestly believe that the numbers of junior doctors who are unhappy with nurse practitioners are minimum. I know that where I work the doctors are always very complimentary about the help and support they get from the nurse pracs.

Those that complain are usually those that don't listen and don't get help in time, the ones who try to do it all themselves and then get on thier high horses when the nurse practitioner calls for the senior doctors for support. They try to turn it to "as an expereinced nurse I would have thought you should be able to deal with that" rather than what it actually is which is working in the best interests of the patient.

These doctors fortunately are rare, and I think more and more now we work as a team rather than as them and us

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Specializes in midwifery, ophthalmics, general practice.

damn.. you mean there was an easier way to become a NP?? I didnt need to do the 3yrs nurse training, 2 yrs midder, then a couple of degrees.. and various other stuff... damn damn.....

yep.. maxi nurses not mini doctors..

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