Not sure what to think!

[Little Panda RN, ASN, RN]

I recently interviewed with another company and the doctor that interviewed me is a specialist. I was somewhat surprised at what was said. I will try and keep this from being to long.

anywho, I was told that the nurse who works for him will need to know what he knows about his work and all that he knows, they need to be a really smart person. That the nurse will need to be doing alot of reading about his specialty and understand it. This docter stated that he would teach his nurse how to suture, give botox injections, remove lesions and what ever he decides to teach (0f course if the nurse is willing to learn). This doctor also said that it is within the law for him to delegate these tasks as long as he has trained the nurse to do them. He also stated that he could teach his nurse how to do brain surgery if he wanted too. Told me that he double books and works through lunch. He also told me to take some time and think about it because he did not want someone to start and quite in 2 months.

Well I do not mind doing alot of reading and I do believe that the nurse should have a firm understanding of the specialty they work in, my concern is the suturing, removing lesions and giving botox injections. I do believe this is not allowed in my scope of practice. I am an LPN and it concerns me that the doctor tells me I can do anything under his license if he trains me.

Well I personally do not feel right about this and I feel that I would be putting my hard earned license on the line.

I was just wondering what everyone else thought about this situation. Input is greatly appreciated.

[augigi, CNS]

The doc isn't the one who loses his license if he is wrong - you are. It may be within HIS scope of practice to delegate these tasks to an appropriately educated and trained assistant, but that doesn't mean it's within yours to accept those tasks.

I would check with my state board of nursing or go by my state practice act.

[reneemcsquared]

the doctor could take anyone off the street, without a nursing license, and teach them anything he would like and as long as he is comfortable and his malpractice insurance carrier agrees, he can do that. as a nurse, you need to know your scope of practice. just because he tells you to do something doesn't mean your board of nursing won't take your license. read your state nurse practice act, ask them directly if things are unclear. some states do allow RNs to give botox injections, suture, etc. but the board of nursing makes that determination, not a doctor.

[ebony2]

Tell the physician to not be such a tight-wad and if he chooses to over-extend himself than he can atleast have the decency to hire a partner. However, in many states the parameters for what nurses can and cannot do is widening. Know your particular scope of practice. If there are concerns you can gain clarity through your board of nursing. No matter what, if you still feel uncomfortable I would look elsewhere for employment. It sounds to me like your future employer is a DINK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[scribblerpnp]

Legality aside, I would be wary of a physician with this type of attitude. It often is a VERY BIG warning sign of a difficult boss. The fact that he double books and schedules through lunch means you can say bye-bye to any break time, and he will most likely have very unreasonable expectations for you. It is great that he says he is willing to teach you, but when would he honestly have the time with what sounds like a busy schedule? I bet is that it would be baptism by fire. I had a similar interview and took the job (going against my gut feeling), though I too am a very quick learner and had a strong knowledge base, one year later I was having "mini-breakdowns" and crying at home three times a week from the stress of an Unreasonable Boss. Be wary.

[Multicollinearity, BSN, RN]

It sounds like this doc wants you to be a cash cow in his office and he could care less about ethics, your license, and the care of his patients. I'd run far, far away.

[bigkahuna]

I say no way. He will put you in a position that is very uncomfortable. Asking you to do things you know you should not and trying to belittle you for your good judgement. Keep looking. His ethics are sketchy. And playing on that " I need a smart nurse" ...forget it.

[Little Panda RN, ASN, RN]

Thanks for all the replies. I have been thinking the same thing as the rest of you. I was offered the job, the doctor left me a voicemail. I have not called him back as of yet. The doctor I was talking about fly's in from another state one week a month to see patients. He has family living in my part of the country. I would only work with him during this time, but of course I know I would be doing all the follow-up where the patients are concerned. The rest of the month I would be helping the family practice doctor who started this clinic with post-op monitoring in the endoscopy lab. I also would be pulling some shifts in the urgent care clinic. I would like the other parts of the job, just not this one doctor. So I guess I will call tomorrow and decline the offer. Oh well maybe something better will come along.

[RNfromMN, BSN, RN]

Huge red flag when he told you to think about it because he didn't want to hire someone just to have them quit after a couple months. Hmmm...something you've been through before, Dr.?

[SharonH, RN]

Geesh. So he wants to "train" you to perform acts for which you have no training, are not licensed to do while his name gets to be on the door, he receives the money from the billing and he pays you an LPN salary. What a creep.

[BSNtobe2009]

I wouldn't take that job...those are doctors that make the news and you see horror jobs on Oprah and 20/20.

It sounds like it's a cosmetic surgeon of some type....if I went to a cosmetic surgeon (which I wouldn't for starters, I would go to a plastic surgeon that was board certified), but if I did...if I went for botox, lesion removal, anything like that...I expect HIM to do the work. If a nurse walked in, it wouldn't make any difference to me what kind of training she had or what letters were behind her name...that industry is way too specialized and there are too many things that can go wrong.

I wouldn't allow a nurse of any kind, regardless of education or training to perform any procedure that was cosmetic in nature.

[Little Panda RN, ASN, RN]

The doctor specializes in dermatology. He is very specialized and you can tell by his attitude. He comes in from a big city. This is a new clinic that has started up in the last year and this guy is the new addition. I have a friend who is a medical assistant who works there and she likes it. She says that he has been nice, but I am afraid that he is one of those doctors who will turn out to be Jekyl and Hyde. Maybe I am making a mountain out of a mole hill. But I guess with being a new nurse, I want to make sure that I am not violating my scope of practice.