Student doctor/PA discussion boards

Nurses General Nursing

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Hello fellow nurses:

I have discovered the student doctor and PA boards and well my first impression isn't good because it seems that they like to bash nurses.

Aren't we all suppossed to be a team here with one common goal which would be quality care for the patient?

There is a lot of debate on those boards about "nursing model" vs. "medical model". It's kind of depressing because after reading some of the posts I am starting to feel like a peon in the medical profession.

I am VERY PROUD to be a nurse and could not possibly think of doing anything else, but reading those other boards is a bit depressing.

Thoughts?? Comments??

Specializes in Corrections, Psych, Med-Surg.

It is no more extreme bashing than that of docs that goes on right here.

Let me be the first to show you one of the jerks who thinks he knows the difference between PA's and advanced practice nurses with Master's degrees and beyond. Here's are his "quoted "thoughts on their own web board (by the way, if he practices medicine with the same skill he exhibits at spelling and using the English language he'll soon be in malpractice court):

"There is a very big difference between PA's and NP's. As mentioned previously PA's are trained in the Medical School model. Going to PA school is the same as med school. The only difference is the time. Physicians for to school for 155 weeks on the average while PA's do 122 weeks. The second thing is that NP programs dont teach NP's radiology. they depend on someone else to read there xrays. If they want to learn how to read xrays its a sperate course. same thing for Surgery. We are tought surgical approaches to patients. we are tought some surgical procedures such as n appendectomy for example. NP's dont not get theat exposure. Every PA is tought how to Suture form small wounds to large ones including micor sutures.

Those are just some examples. One other thing. We enjoy a much better relationship with physicians since we are tought under the same model.

Eddie Garrido PA

Miami Fl

:eek:

Hmmmmm...Snag, this PA is implying that "going to PA school is the same as med school"?????? Well, that just tells you how much out of touch this person is. If technical tasks such as suturing and surgical procedures are the focus of their education, the medical profession surely needs able individuals who can treat the patient's physical, psychosocial, educational and health promotion needs, as well as their families...Definitely NOT for people like him.

That's why I'm aiming for a NP degree - I can treat the individual, not just the darn infected abdominal wound...

BTW PA's in the cardiac unit where I work are very appreciative of our contribution and the respect is reciprocal. Most of them have much less inflated egoes than MD's and have time to listen to what we have to say.

As far as med students go, I can say that they are not yet in hot water til they jump in the pot... Those comments don't carry much weight. Wait til they get pushed around by the chiefs and Sr. residents - The other people who know how things get done around the place? Nurses, of course.

As someone mentioned here earlier, the need to belittle nurses definitely stems from their own insecurity. -Nurses are smart enough to know this.

Most MDs who have been through the ordeals of residency are very appreciative of nurse's contributions. Even the experienced docs, inflated egoes or not, recognize that we are their eyes and ears 24/7....And many of them are legitimately concerned about the nursing crisis because it affects their patients and practices. They know that outcomes are ultimately dependent on nursing care.:cool:

I used to worry about the MD attitudes when I was younger. I could not care less now. I KNOW that I am a contributing member to the team. If they haven't figured it out, too bad, as I can save them time and money, not to mention make it easier for their patient which makes the MD look good. MDs I work with know I will be honest and make every effort to do the right thing. If that is a conflict with their practice, then something is wrong with the MD.

Specializes in MICU, neuro, orthotrauma.
Originally posted by snag

Let me be the first to show you one of the jerks who thinks he knows the difference between PA's and advanced practice nurses with Master's degrees and beyond. Here's are his "quoted "thoughts on their own web board (by the way, if he practices medicine with the same skill he exhibits at spelling and using the English language he'll soon be in malpractice court):

"There is a very big difference between PA's and NP's. As mentioned previously PA's are trained in the Medical School model. Going to PA school is the same as med school. The only difference is the time. Physicians for to school for 155 weeks on the average while PA's do 122 weeks. The second thing is that NP programs dont teach NP's radiology. they depend on someone else to read there xrays. If they want to learn how to read xrays its a sperate course. same thing for Surgery. We are tought surgical approaches to patients. we are tought some surgical procedures such as n appendectomy for example. NP's dont not get theat exposure. Every PA is tought how to Suture form small wounds to large ones including micor sutures.

Those are just some examples. One other thing. We enjoy a much better relationship with physicians since we are tought under the same model.

Eddie Garrido PA

Miami Fl

I understand making typos, as I make so many of them myself, but it's rather frightening to see that someone who has any sort of title behind his name can not figure out how to spell "tought." *shivers*

Specializes in MICU, neuro, orthotrauma.

I looked up what it takes to become a PA. In essence, one may become a PA with one and a half years of pre requisites, and seven semesters (which includes summer semesters) in core courses. This adds up to a little less than four years. An NP degree is a master's degree. Why would anyone come under the impression that the PA is better educated or better prepared to treat patient's than an NP?

prereq's

http://www.chp.cmich.edu/pa/prereq.htm

core curriculum

http://www.chp.cmich.edu/pa/curriculum.htm

Who would say that PA's are more qualified? Well, possibly doctors who favor the medical school model. And PA's of course. ;)

Most ads I see in the paper are asking for NP or PA so some see litle difference.

http://www.apap.org/apapdirectory/details.asp?ProgramID=73

At the above link you will see the true requirements to the PA program at Central Michigan University.

As you can see, it requires a bachelors and those prerequisites. The program itself is 27 months long. It awards a masters of science in physician assistant.

Compare those requirements to prerequisite and the first two years of core curicculum for medical school. All I will lack is a second semester of calculus for a degree in premed and I am only trying for a bachelors in PA. I could also fulfill the requirements of some NP programs with my bachelors and the psych/development that are core requirements for any BS.

I wouldn't take that post that was supposedly written by a PA very serious. All physician assistants must be certified by passing a national test. They cannot call themselves "PA". They are all PA-C, as in "certified" from the first day that they can call themselves a PA. If they have not certified they are only a candidate and not a PA.

This person is certainly not a PA. The misspelling of the word occurs often enough to make me think this person actualy thinks it's spelled that way and not just a typo. I believe most college level students, and certainly supposed professionals, are capable of spelling the word "taught".

BTW.........I don't hang out at that BB because of that very problem. If there were enough professional PAs on that site, criticisms of that post would soon follow. Thankfuly, those kinds of attitudes seem to be the exception rather than the rule.

Specializes in MICU, neuro, orthotrauma.
Originally posted by Peeps Mcarthur

http://www.apap.org/apapdirectory/details.asp?ProgramID=73

At the above link you will see the true requirements to the PA program at Central Michigan University.

As you can see, it requires a bachelors and those prerequisites. The program itself is 27 months long. It awards a masters of science in physician assistant.

That makes a little more sense. I was wondering why it is that there's so much tussle concerning which degree better prepares the student to script and prepare plan of care/orders for a patient. Most PA's that i have met seem competent and kind. There are exceptions. Perhaps they just test well. I haven't met many NP's. The Neurosx docs seem to prefer the PA's.

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