PA-C's on L&D

Specialties Ob/Gyn

Published

Does anyone have any expeirence with physician assistants on labor and delivery? My wife is looking to hire a PA and is convinced that they can do just about anything their doc will let them, going as far as doing uncomplicated lady partsl deliveries.

Anyone care to share what their PA's do?

Dave

Yersinia, you certainly DO have to be a surgeon to perform c/sections. The hospital is not going to let someone without surgical priviliges perform any kind of surgical procedure at the facility.

One has to be priviliged for whatever procedure they are performing. For instance, at my facility, the OB's are the ones who do routine circumcisions because the pediatricians do NOT have surgical proviliges at my place. The hospital in the next town allows peds to do circs because they grant them surgical priviliges.

Yersinnia,

I don't know where you get your information about PA's. All I know is that at the hospital in the next town, who has PA's, their orders have to be signed off within 24 hours by their covering doc. PA's are trained in ONE subspecialty only and their scope of practice is very limited. I am under the impression at leasta round here that that is the standard of practice for all PA's. Are they good? You bet they are. However, their scope in the long run is MUCH smaller than a nurse's. Why are you reacting so vehemently to all the comments posted. Are you a nurse? I would be interested in your background when you make such blatant statements. Thanks.

Yersinnia,

PA's are trained in ONE subspecialty only and their scope of practice is very limited. However, their scope in the long run is MUCH smaller than a nurse's.

Not true at all.

Taken from the American Academy of Physician Assistants,

"Education consists of classroom and laboratory instruction in the basic medical and behavioral sciences (such as anatomy, pharmacology, pathophysiology, clinical medicine, and physical diagnosis), followed by clinical rotations in internal medicine, family medicine, surgery, pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology, emergency medicine, and geriatric medicine. "

I'm utterly amazed by the level of misinformation and hysteria associated with this thread.

Specializes in Obstetrics, M/S, Psych.
Not true at all.

Taken from the American Academy of Physician Assistants,

"Education consists of classroom and laboratory instruction in the basic medical and behavioral sciences (such as anatomy, pharmacology, pathophysiology, clinical medicine, and physical diagnosis), followed by clinical rotations in internal medicine, family medicine, surgery, pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology, emergency medicine, and geriatric medicine. "

I'm utterly amazed by the level of misinformation and hysteria associated with this thread.

You, too? I wish there were some PA's here to defend themselves. I work in psych and have met some very talanted PA's who are fabulous in psych; not at all what I would call limited. Some odd perception going on here on this thread. :uhoh21:

"Education consists of classroom and laboratory instruction in the basic medical and behavioral sciences (such as anatomy, pharmacology, pathophysiology, clinical medicine, and physical diagnosis), followed by clinical rotations in internal medicine, family medicine, surgery, pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology, emergency medicine, and geriatric medicine. "

Sounds just like my BSN program!

Specializes in Educator.

Thanks for your kind clarification of the role, training and ability of Physician Assistants. I am disappointed in some of the remarks I have seen and believe they most likely stem from bad experiences, misperception and misinformation. Before I went to PA school I had an extensive health care background- as did all my classmates. My personal experience was in... childbirth. I worked with a midwifery practice for several years and, yes, delivered babies ( delivered is really poor phraseology, but you know what I mean- really, the mom does the work :) ). During my PA training, I had an intense OB GYN rotation, with both high and low risk situations. One of the marvelous aspects of my training was in how much we all had to teach each other- students, PAs, nurses, MDs, techs, etc. As with all professions, there are many levels of expertise, passion and ability. None of us is ever done learning.

My new favorite bumpersticker: God bless the whole world. No exceptions.

Are there any studies out there looking at outcomes with PAs vs MDs or CNMs?

Specializes in Obstetrics, M/S, Psych.

Hello naggytabby,

Glad you are here to speak up and ad your views. Hopefully you can squelch some ignorance!

The PA and NP debate goes way back to the late 1960s, early 70s. There was a Physician shortage in the rural areas. The AMA and ANA disagreed on what to do with the Army medics that were coming back from Vietnam with all this hands on medical experience. Heaven for bid, these guys did not want to be called nurses! Many State Nursing Organizations tried to keep PAs from practicing in their states. I went to nursing school in the late 1970s and I had PA students in the same classes. All I remember is that they were predominately male and their starting salaries were more than the advance practice nurses. I can vividly remember my nursing instructor calling them "glorified nurses." Many in nursing felt like PAs would confuse consumers and we didn't understand why we needed to create another member of the health care team. The male dominated and more powerful AMA won!

Now, 35 years later the animosity is still there.

I personally have nothing against PAs. I am sure that you are all wonderful people. BUT, You must understand, that as a female dominated profession, we were left in the dust by the woman's movement and have continued to fight for the respect and acknowlegement that we deserve. The creation of PAs was a BIG slap in the face to us!

Specializes in Obstetrics, M/S, Psych.

Interesting history.Thanks for sharing! Knowing the history makes me understand the origin of the hostility, but also makes me realize it is time to give up the ghost!

Actually, I still haven't given up hope that nurses would finally own their power, based on there sheer numbers, and run all the PAs out of town and close down all the PA schools. Just kidding...I think.

Specializes in Educator.

More than half the PAs are female- and many are also nurses. In my class there were 6 RNs- and in some classes the number has been higher. I am also, to my delight, female. And pursuing my CNM.

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