Have patients here ever refused service from you for being an NP?

AcousticFoodie · Mar 2, 2010

I think the PA and NP professions are shooting themselves in the foot by taking rookies in the programs. There are wayyyyy too many direct entry NP programs out there today.

That wouldn't just necessarily be an NP and PA issue tho. You could say the same thing about a a rookie resident MD/DO. How about this...who would you trust more in the ER? An NP/PA with 7 years ER experience or a resident MD?

Disinherited · Mar 2, 2010

Foodie - The didactic and clinical education a physician gets is magnitudes higher than NPs or PAs get. By the time a MD/DO is handling cases in an ED they have had thousands upon thousands of hours of clinical experience, in addition to the years of science-heavy didactic training. There is no comparison between a 'rookie' MD and a 'rookie' PA/NP. Unless that 'rookie' PA/NP has years of experience before going that route, the MD is MUCH better prepared for any such job.

Now...trusting a 'rookie' MD vice an experienced PA/NP in an ED setting? Experience, of course, makes the better clinician. But with the current trends in PA/NP education, the lay-person going into the ED wdoesn't know if the PA/NP who is seeing them has that experience or not. If these trends continue (and there are no signs of them slowing) then the midlevel providers will give the public more reasons for insisting to "see the doctor instead."

ShesGotDuende · Mar 2, 2010

I'm an MA at a GYN practice and I see this all the time. I always try to schedule patients with the NP if I can help it. I think she has a better bedside manner and respects the patient's time more (the MD comes in an hour late every day, and then is completely inefficient after that). But many people refuse to see her. I can understand if you have a complicated problem wanting to see the MD, or from the point of view that you're only there once a year so you want to see your doctor....but I always try to get paps and vag infection visits with the NP if I can. The response I *always* get is, "She's trained to do that??" Uh, yeah. *I* could do your pap or take care of your yeast infection, it's so damn routine. I really think it's just not understanding what an advanced practice nurse does. Once I explain it to them, they're usually open to it.

Lovelymo79 · Mar 3, 2010

I'm a nursing student now but I plan to become a Nurse Practitioner down the road. I personally like my NP at my gyn office and I've gone to see her several times when my doctors haven't been available. My doctors are awesome as well..but I have no problem seeing the NP. Even before I really knew what an NP was, I was totally fine with seeing her..I just wanted to see SOMEONE as soon as possible!

I agree..the general public should be informed to know what NPs do and then they will be more receptive.