NP Autonomy: Are MD's hating it ? ...feel stupid asking question

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First let me touch on the stupid part: until I started lurking on this forum I didn't know the meaning of professional autonomy. And I feel embarassed to say that as a member of the healthcare community, I didn't know the full scope of practice of NPs. Even though I know the obgyn lady at the clinic is one. I knew she wasn't a MD, but was to scared too ask for details. Me & my friends just refer to her as the "Ob-Gyn Lady". Anyway, I was on a forum for med techs and they mentioned that some MDs take issue with NPs having full autonomy. This topic came about when we were talking about MLTs (2yr degree) being allowed to perform the same functions as MTs (4yr degree, + more sometimes). They mentioned that family practice NPs only spend 7 years in school vs. family practice MDs who spend 12 years in school....and how this is not fair.

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OP you should have already figured out that healthcare is full of whiners. "Why don't I get what he/she has, or, How come he/she got what I have" usually followed with torture one went through to get whatever, etc. and who is more deserving, etc. Everybody does it at all levels, MDs are very much included and can whine it up with the best of them. :vlin:

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Life is not fair. A nurse was telling me the other day that her hospital was laying off some anesthesiologists in favor of more CRNAs as they were cheaper. Sometimes you're the bug; sometimes you're the windshield!

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Specializes in Emergency Nursing.

Perhaps if you did a search about nurse practitioners and looked at what exactly they do and then you would have an idea of their level of autonomy. Nurse practitioners and physician assistants (another type of Mid-Level Licensed Independent Practitioner) are not completely autonomous and comparing them to a physicians level of autonomy is a little silly in my opinion. Many physicians used to say that nurse practitioners are nurses who are trying to become doctors but are attempting to circumvent going to med. school. We know that of course this isn't true and that nurse practitioners and physician assistants play a very important and ever increasing role in our health care delivery system.

!Chris :specs:

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I can't copy and paste from my phone but when I googled "np autonomy" I found an article about a family practice group of NP's with admitting priviledges.

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A quick search brought this up...

http://www.npedu.com/faq1.htm

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Specializes in allergy and asthma, urgent care.

I was a med tech before becoming an NP, and I feel I get more respect in my NP role. I guess as a med tech I was just a faceless idiot in the basement who was holding up their diagnosis and treatment...lol. There are always going to be sour grapes out there, and I think some MDs feel threatened by NPs. I think they are scared that patient satisfaction surveys show that patients are just as happy or happier with care given by an NP as opposed to an MD. And since nursing is all about evidence based practice, the evidence shows that patient outcomes when treated by an NP vs. an MD are equal. It's less expensive for a practice to hire an NP, so perhaps they're worried about job security. That being said, an NP's scope of practice is more limited than that of an MD, so there are many jobs we can't do, and are not qualified to do, so MDs are in no danger of going extinct because of NPs. So I'm a little tired of their whining....lol. I can work autonomously in the role I was trained for, but I wouldn't presume to say I can do anything an MD can do. However, I work side by side with MDs in my clinic, I do the exact same things that they do, and I get paid half of what they are getting...is that fair??? My response to them is "toughen up, crybabies!!".

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Life is not fair... Sometimes you're the bug; sometimes you're the windshield!

This also applies to nurses being replaced by paramedics, medical technicians and medical assistants?

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This also applies to nurses being replaced by paramedics, medical technicians and medical assistants?

I don't think that has ever happened.

In Arizona where I live, the NP seems to have ton of autonomy. A NP can have their own office without being under a MD.

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Specializes in M/S, MICU, CVICU, SICU, ER, Trauma, NICU.

Although I have great respect for certain ARNPS (especially if I know their backgrounds and where they did their clinicals) I will still prefer my MD should the need arise.

I am not completely sold on the NP thing--especially since there are direct-entry level ones who run clinics. Yikes.

Before I get pies thrown at me, however, my own HCP is an NP and I wouldn't trade her--unless she got to something she couldn't handle..and she always, always, always defers to the MD.

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Although I have great respect for certain ARNPS (especially if I know their backgrounds and where they did their clinicals) I will still prefer my MD should the need arise.

If you always prefer an MD, why would have an NP as your health care provider:uhoh3:

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I suspect it is because his NP is associated with a physician and works closely with that physician unlike others who have total indi practice? I tend to agree with Jo and personally am not keen on the said concept.

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