Nursing vs Podiatry

allnurses Guide · May 31, 2012

Good luck with your choice.

People often ask me how a NP is different from

a MD, and like many others, I have come up with my own blanket statement to answer it. To me a NP is trained under a nursing model that treats the patient where as a MD is trained under a medical model that treats disease. The education model is vastly different.

The biggest pro for being an NP for me is the increased time I get with patients.

Best of luck in your choice!

RT->CRNA · May 31, 2012

Hi guys
I really need your advise
I've been accepted to both accelerated nursing and podiatry schools, but I can't make a decision on wether I should go to nursing or podiatry. I have shadowed both professions hence I understand that both of the fields have pros and cons.
Pros and Cons of Podiatry:
+ Being a doctor
+ doing surgeries
+ perspective of openning own practices
- 4 years of school + 3 years of residensy
- being at the same salary range as NP and CRna
Pros and Cons of Nursing
+ 15 month for BSN + 2 years for NP
+ Variety of jobs
+ Easier to find a job
- Not being able to help without doctors' supervision
- hard and "dirty"(please no offence)
Please help me
Maybe I am missing something and you can point some other cons and pros for the fields

I would go the podiatry route any day. I was premed, and still think about doing DO or DPM every now and then. There is no comparisson to DPM in nursing. you have such a large scope of practive as a DPM, that your salary is really governed by your work. The only thing holding me back from DPM is wanting a much larger scope of practive. Hence my thoughts on DO school. MD is pretty much out of the picture for me, onless I utlize the Texas fresh start program, but I would be waiting until 2015 to even start that program. DO school has grade replacement, so they don't average ur grades. GO where your heart points at. DO you want to be a Doctor, or someone that ultimately follows their orders.

RT

allnurses Guide · May 31, 2012

DO you want to be a Doctor, or someone that ultimately follows their orders.
RT
Do you mean the role of NPs is to take orders from physicians? It is simply not true.

podnur · May 31, 2012

Could you please explain me more about NPWhy would a patient chose an NP in hospital when there are bunch of doctors available on the floorAlso is there a demand on NP(or FNP) in hospitals?I am afraid to be overqualified for the position and be without a job at all.

RT->CRNA · May 31, 2012

You are right, but I did not mean to imply that. He asked about a BSN not NP. So when you compare RN to DPM, there really is no comparison. He did also state that it takes ~2 years to get your NP, but lets be straight here. While some nurses make it into NP school right out of school, it doesn't happen very often. So the correct stat would be:

15 month accel. RN program (BSN), a few years of practice, then apply to NP school, work through gap year before matriculation, then 2 years MINIMUM of NP school.

Even so, the role of a NP does not really overlap the role of a DPM that deals primarily in surgery. Most DPM deal in surgery in one aspect or another. A NP can first assist though... I can see a NP dealing with the bread and butter cases and some wound care, but once it escalates to a higher severity, it WILL be passed on to a DPM or MD/DO. There really is no debate here.

Now correct me if I am wrong, but while NPs do practice advanced nursing, most will refer to MD/DOs that deal with complicated cases? A lot of them still work under MD/DOs. And while their is a battle to win over equal payout in primary care, it ends there. Mid levels (both NP, CRNA, PA, AA) will not win equal payback as doctors. Some state award near total autonomy to NPs, but a few do no allow DNP to call themselves Doctor and some on top of that make them explain the type of doctor they are. A DPM is a true doctor in his field, and can do everything a MD/DO in that same field can do.

RT->CRNA · May 31, 2012

Podnur, I saw this same post on student doctor. You will notice the difference in opinion from a Doctor based network to a nursing based one.

NPs are in demand. No doubt about it. Most are great at what they do, which is being a mid level provider. They have their place in health care, and the truth is that most doctors utilize them very happily. We have to understand that the state Board of nursing and all the political hooplah we see now a days is because you have to fight with either far left or far right ideals. The job market is good out there, and any place that is looking for PAs will also take NPs. Hospitals and ER contracting companies are great places to work. PA and NP may work fast tract or even the actual ER if staff is short.

4 years of nursing (considering you are in an accelerated program, and including some time in the field required by most NP schools to even get in). 2-3 years in a NP or DNP program. = 6-7 years to be a NP or DNP (same test to practice)

4 years of podiatry + 2-3 years for residency = 6-7 years until you can practice.

Same amount of time to your goal. higher median income in DPM vs NP, and near the same as CRNA but a little higher.

The difference is that after your RN program, you can go to work! Make some money! Will that mean you WILL get into a NP program? NOPE!!! Still have to become a RN first, practive first, then apply.

Your acceptance to DPM is there!! If your heart is in it, take it. If not, give the spot to someone that wants it.

Ivan

allnurses Guide · May 31, 2012

Could you please explain me more about NPWhy would a patient chose an NP in hospital when there are bunch of doctors available on the floorAlso is there a demand on NP(or FNP) in hospitals?I am afraid to be overqualified for the position and be without a job at all.

NPs are used more and more often in hospitals now, especially with hour restrictions on medical residents creating openings that hospitals fill with NP/PA practitioners. I live and practice in a major academic area and many of the "medical" teams are now made entirely of NP/PAs. NPs can practice autonomously in 18 states now, and while inpatients don't choose NPs, in ambulatory care many patients prefer NPs (especially in primary care). Hospitals choose NPs because they are independent (practice under their own license) and are less expensive than MDs for the moment.

If you do go for interviews with NPs or for an NP program, do not use the terms "mid-level" or "extenders"; many NPs take exception to these terms.

rusny · Jun 2, 2012

4 years of nursing (considering you are in an accelerated program, and including some time in the field required by most NP schools to even get in). 2-3 years in a NP or DNP program. = 6-7 years to be a NP or DNP (same test to practice)
4 years of podiatry + 2-3 years for residency = 6-7 years until you can practice.
Ivan
Correct me if I'm wrong but not all NP programs require ICU or any experience in the field. So hypothetically speaking it is 15 month for BSN + 2 years for NP which in total gives us 3-4 years with all of the license exams.
Plus if I'm not mistaking DNP is not going to be a requirement after 2015 but only a recommendation hence some colleges will definitely keep their NP programs.

leenak · Jun 2, 2012

Could you please explain me more about NPWhy would a patient chose an NP in hospital when there are bunch of doctors available on the floorAlso is there a demand on NP(or FNP) in hospitals?I am afraid to be overqualified for the position and be without a job at all.

I don't know about hospitals but for my own personal care, I choose NPs. I've just had better experiences.

podnur · Jun 3, 2012

Is it true that NPs are more in demand in rural and suburban areas ?

ALso, what kind of office can you open with NP license?

leenak · Jun 3, 2012

Is it true that NPs are more in demand in rural and suburban areas ? ALso, what kind of office can you open with NP license?

You'd have to check with the specific state. In Maryland (my state), NPs seem to have quite a bit of independence.