nurse practioners and surgery

suzanne4, RN · Apr 13, 2005

NPs normally do not do rotations in the OR. They learn suture techniques depending on their area of specialty, but as far as a regular OR rotation for all, the answer is no.

There is no such thing as a Dr. NP.

nev · Apr 13, 2005

Well....I guess I could be wrong , but i hear that it is really rare. I got this info from studentdoctor. I hope you can go to this thread and confirm my doubts:

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=180208

Thanks

Nev

crazylilkelly · Apr 13, 2005

Hi,

I noticed that someone made the reply that DrNp isn't real. I just wanted to say that DrNP programs are being formed. The first program has been approved at Columbia University. Here's the website for a related article: http://cpmcnet.columbia.edu/dept/nursing/academics-programs/drnp_approved.html

I'm applying for University of Illinois @ Chicago for nursing and I spoke to a director there that said a Dr.NP program is in the works there as well. They said that in a few years it should be up and running. Ciao :)

suzanne4, RN · Apr 13, 2005

Hi,
I noticed that someone made the reply that DrNp isn't real. I just wanted to say that DrNP programs are being formed. The first program has been approved at Columbia University. Here's the website for a related article: http://cpmcnet.columbia.edu/dept/nursing/academics-programs/drnp_approved.html
I'm applying for University of Illinois @ Chicago for nursing and I spoke to a director there that said a Dr.NP program is in the works there as well. They said that in a few years it should be up and running. Ciao :)

The original poster asked if Dr. NPs did an OR rotation, that answer is still no. Same as you would still refer to the NP as an NP, not Dr. NP.

But currently, there are only programs "in the works" for the Dr. NP programs.

And then again several years before they finish..................

crazylilkelly · Apr 14, 2005

The original poster asked if Dr. NPs did an OR rotation, that answer is still no. Same as you would still refer to the NP as an NP, not Dr. NP.
But currently, there are only programs "in the works" for the Dr. NP programs.
And then again several years before they finish..................

Hi,

I wasn't trying to imply that there already were DrNPs but that there soon will be. You can actually apply to the new Colombia program now(well, I guess this year's deadline past so you'd have to wait another year). The first class starts this fall. So I guess that means the first DrNPs will be helping patients in 2 yrs. I know there's a lot of debate about this (I'm starting a BSN program so I'm not trying to pretend that I know everything about nursing). If I ever chose, waaaaayyyy down the line, to go into a DrNP program I would still consider myself an NP(not a doc, just proud of how far I took my NP education). The only reason I would take the program would be to get more education and if more formal learning(&residency in the case of the program) helps me to better treat the patients than I am all about it. I guess having your own clinic as an NP is for some people but I'm not really interested in that. I just really want to help people and not worry about running an entire clinic. It seems to me that sometimes the debate about having the Dr near NP makes people a little bit nervous b/c a lot of people only think of medical doctors being Dr.s. I mean astronomers, anthropologists, biologists, chemists, psychologists etc etc etc are Drs----just in a different field. You could be a Dr. Rad tech for goodness sake. Granted you probably went to grad school for something else & decided your love was in radiology technology------but you still perservered through school & earned that title. I think if someone is a DrNp they just did a little bit more studying in the field of nurse practioning-----they deserve the title of Dr. b/c they went through all that school like practically any other field out there. Sorry if I rambled on in response to your reply & got off track a bit. I think I'm just procrasting on studying for my bio exam tomorrow....To the books I turn again. Take care & God bless, CLK

Osorry1 · Apr 14, 2005

I had some friends in my class that had been OR RNs or connections with surgeons, etc. before NP school and they were working as first assists in cardio, neuro, and ortho that I know of, so I know they are out there. You may need to try to first qualify for OR nursing, then after returning to school (in an acute care NP program) get advise from professors about how you can arrange a rotation for that kind of training. It is possible. It is out there. Hope this helps.

elkpark · Apr 14, 2005

There have been "clinical doctorates" in nursing for quite some time (my grad school started one up 10 years ago, and they certainly weren't the first) -- the DSN and DNSc are the two I'm used to seeing, and, now someone has come up with a program they are calling a DrNP. No biggie. At this point, the degrees are out there, plenty of people have them, but there is, at this time, no licensure/certification difference between a Master's prepared APRN and a doctorally prepared APRN. I think that is the point that suzanne4 was originally making (if I may be so presumptuous! :) ) -- that there is no such thing, at this time, as a "Dr. NP" that is separate/different from the MSN prepared NPs we are all familiar with. Same license, same certification exam, same scope of practice.

We may be confusing "DrNP" as the designation of a degree (like PhD, MSN, DSN) with "Dr. NP" as a professional title ...

BTW, studentdoctor.net is not necessarily a great source of info about the nursing profession. :)

jeepgirl, LPN, NP · Apr 14, 2005

OMG I have a freakin migraine from reading all the CRAP on that thread. Those people are spouting the most spiteful, hateful, anti-nurse babble I have ever heard!!!! They even mentioned allnurses.com and referred others to come over here to see what "real" NP's want... to basically take their jobs.

Do docs really think like this? I guess I have been lucky... overall, we have very nice docs where I work!

Do they try to teach them this in med school?

suzanne4, RN · Apr 14, 2005

The original question was whether or not NPs did clinical rotations in surgery while they were in their program. The answer is no, the only ones that are in the OR on some of the specialty services were already experienced OR nurses. Training and Certification for the RNFA takes longer than the entire NP program.

Remember that NPs usually pick their specialty before they begin their training. MD/DO/PA programs have you do training in all of the areas, then pick your area.

fry.girl · Apr 14, 2005

But currently, there are only programs "in the works" for the Dr. NP programs.
And then again several years before they finish..................

Apparently there are eight programs currently enrolling students, two of which are transitioning their current ND programs to DNP.

http://www.aacn.nche.edu/DNP/DNPProgramList.htm

Cheri :)

suzanne4, RN · Apr 14, 2005

Again, whether the NP has an MSN or a PhD, they are still going to be called a Nurse Practitioner. And to the original quewstion, they do not do rotations in their clinical training in the OR.

You are speaking of a few programs in the entire US currently, it will be yesrs before they are seen at mnay facilities. Most will go into teaching and administrative roles...................