Nurses are Not Doctors

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An article appeared today in the New York Times as a followup to a bill passed in New York granting nurse practitioners the right to provide primary care without the oversight of a physician. The authors of the bill state "mandatory collaboration with a physician no longer serves a clinical purpose and reduces much-needed access to primary care". The need for more primary care providers is due to the shortage of primary-care physicians, the aging boomer population, and the Affordable Care Act.

Although the president of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners feels that the current "hierarchical, physician-centric structure" is not necessary, many physicians disagree citing that the clinical importance of the physician's expertise is being underestimated and that the cost-effectiveness of nurse practitioners is being over-estimated.

Many physicians also feel that "nurse practitioners are worthy professionals and are absolutely essential to patient care. But they are not doctors."

What are your thoughts on this? Where do nurse practitioners fit into the healthcare hierarchy?

For the complete article go to Nurses are Not Doctors

You are welcome to your own ignorance. Just don't think for a second that it is anything more than that.

Lol...

So all studies showing NPs in a positive light is nonsense? Interesting. I wouldn't see a PA...time and time again found them to be idiots. So I guess I can say I won't feel comfortable with a PA after their track record with my care...clearly their education is a joke.

Having a study with BS metrics such A1C, BP, cholesterol level ect... is bologna. It is NOT a valid study... You probably would have understood that if you were a PA or MD/DO...

Specializes in Adult Internal Medicine.
Having a study with BS metrics such A1C, BP, cholesterol level ect... is bologna. It is NOT a valid study... You probably would have understood that if you were a PA or MD/DO...

Like you are? Wait, back to school you go.

A1C, BP, LDL-C are defined objective quality measures. Uncontrolled diabetes, hypertension, and hyperlipemia account for the vast majority if morbidity and mortality in the country. But you would know that if you were a PA, or a MD/DO, or an NP. But you are a student.

Specializes in Pediatrics, High-Risk L&D, Antepartum, L.
Having a study with BS metrics such A1C, BP, cholesterol level ect... is bologna. It is NOT a valid study... You probably would have understood that if you were a PA or MD/DO...

Actually, being an MD/DO or PA (and I laugh) has nothing to do with it.

I'm sorry for your ignorance. It's a shame it doesn't seem like something we can fix. In the meantime...19 states have independent practice for NPs. How is that working out for PAs? That's right...it doesn't work out. Good thing.

Oh and as patients continue to race about NPs and the studies continue to show positive results...NPs wi continue to improve health care for many!

Here's the deal...your opinion doesn't change any of that. So for me...no reason to continue the conversation. It's like talking to a wall....nothing reasonable ever comes back.

I do not have a problem with PA as their education is very rigorous; it is just NP (CRNA) with their inferior education that I would not let treat me or family members as I did it before when my wife was having surgery... No matter what nonsense study that you keep spouting, it is not gonna make me believe that someone who got an online degree with a bunch of nursing theory classes from a diploma mill is competent to practice medicine...

Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) - with a specialization in Nurse Practitioner - South University Online

How on Earth can you argue that a PA's education is "rigorous" compared to an NP? That's just silly. PAs get 2 years post bachelor's degree. An NP, by contrast has a nursing degree and at least a masters in nursing (but the push now is to have a doctorate). I work with PAs at my hospital. They do not get the kind of holistic training that nurses do. They are trained to be basically a doctor's assistant, occupying a narrow scope of practice with close oversight by a physician. An NP's training, by contrast, prepares them to be autonomous providers, which is presumably why states are increasingly giving them the power to practice solo.

Specializes in Anesthesia.

It is asinine to argue with someone that cannot provide one piece of research to back up his or her statements on the quality or supposable lack of quality of APN education.

We can only hope that he or she can at least figure out how to use research to give medical care otherwise there are going to be a lot of patients getting subpar care.

How on Earth can you argue that a PA's education is "rigorous" compared to an NP? That's just silly. PAs get 2 years post bachelor's degree. An NP, by contrast has a nursing degree and at least a masters in nursing (but the push now is to have a doctorate). I work with PAs at my hospital. They do not get the kind of holistic training that nurses do. They are trained to be basically a doctor's assistant, occupying a narrow scope of practice with close oversight by a physician. An NP's training, by contrast, prepares them to be autonomous providers, which is presumably why states are increasingly giving them the power to practice solo.

Remember that I have a BSN so I know about the nursing education... When NP schools require basic science like Organic chem, Genetics, Biochem, etc..., I will consider them legit. Many of my former classmates became NPs with no knowledge in basic science... Heck... I guess the watered down anatomy we took at that community college was good enough to become a NP...

It is asinine to argue with someone that cannot provide one piece of research to back up his or her statements on the quality or supposable lack of quality of APN education.

We can only hope that he or she can at least figure out how to use research to give medical care otherwise there are going to be a lot of patients getting subpar care.

I will use nursing research... Lol.:no:

Specializes in burn ICU, SICU, ER, Trauma Rapid Response.

I didn't read the link. Why would anyone? Our discussion is about NPs. This link references midlevels, not NPs.

This is what physicians and future physicians think of you guys/gals... They think you are jokes...

Specializes in burn ICU, SICU, ER, Trauma Rapid Response.
I didn't read the link. Why would anyone? Our discussion is about NPs. This link references midlevels, not NPs.

Last time I checked, NPs are midlevel providers (if I can call them that).

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