DrEdwina

I had a chance to view the language at the Social Security site. It is true, the APN is viewed as a professional working in collaboration with the physician. Social Security do view the Optometrist, Chriopractor as a physician. The reason; they all carry the title doctor, nurses do not carry the title doctor. This is one reason why AACN is pushing for the practice doctorate for APN's. It brings a terminal degree to your profession and a prestigious public view. It will also help attrack others to the profession. We have a long way to go. The AACN has proposed that the year 2010 will start the entry level of practice for APN's at the Doctorate level.

For NP's The proposal was approved. The first Practice Doctorate NP's graduated from Columbia, in New York.

Congradulations! I passed by boards the first time when 500 was tops and 350 was miminal for passing. Well to the NURSE World. :balloons:

Finally, someone has addressed this issue of being called doctor. Why not? as stated before, you are a Clinical Doctor in Primary Care. Nurses keep downing their abilities as healthcare providers. It is time for the clinical doctorate. Optometrists are doctors (Doctor of Optometry) in their field vs Ophthalmologists who are MD's. Podiatrists are Doctors in their filed (DPM) Doctor of Podiatry Medicine. I am a FNP, it is disheartening when your patient brings you a form to fill out for a disabled sticker and NP's are eliminated from the list. Guess who is listed, which don't make since? Doctor of Chriopracters, Optometrists, Audiologists, MD is the qualified one. Why? Because they carry the title Doctor, even though DC's can't prescribe, Audiologists can't prescribe, Optometrists are very limited in prescribing. The APN can prescribed in all areas in many states schedule 2 thru to 5. Nurses became to academic and not clinical in our own profession. By the way, I am a preceptor for a 3-year MD program at UC Berkeley in California. After three years the student graduates with his/her MD degree and a masters of science degree, then the students go on to UCSF for 2 years for their clinical rotations. So now MD's are reaching for some academia, where as in the past, it was a straight MD four year program with internship and residency. Every since I became a nurse from 1976, nurses have been bickering over status of Diploma vs ADN, BSN, MSN and Doctorate then, was well out of reach for most nurses. It is really time to standardized the profession once and for all, then by choice, you decide what level you want in nursing.

Hello Everyone? I am a RN since 1976 with a background in Critical Care, Emergency Nursing, Nursing Administration, and now a FNP. Recently, I was approached to help out with a new LVN program. In order for me to be qualified to teach I must have the following courses under my belt. The California Board of VN's is very strict with no exceptions, even if you have a masters/doctorate degree. 1. Curriculum Development and Instruction 2. Teaching 3. Administration I found these titles with Phoenix University, it was on-line. However, I found my self to be the only nurse. The cyberspace classroom were all teachers K-12th grade. Can someone please help me or direct me to the proper courses for nursing? Maybe these are the correct courses. The instructor felt that I could apply these courses to nursing. Please help with some direction. I prefer online or homestudy due to my busy schedule. It must be a accredited institution. Thank you

Go for the FNP, I am very glad I did. All avenues are open to you and you are best utilized to the fullest.

Nurse Smith or NP Smith is respectful. But addressing any nurse by first name to a patient I feel is unprofessional. We must behave more professional. When communicating with our peers, most prefer you call them by their first name. In my clinical setting I notice the MA's address the NP's by first name. You are going to see Susie. The patient need to know who Susie is!

This is a good issue. Most patients when they hear the first word Nurse, don't hear Practitioner. Many Patients end up calling you by your first name. I have a Doctorate degree. One patient called me Doctor, acknowledging my degree, but knowing I am a NP was quickly corrected by my Medical Director: She is a Nurse Practitioner with a PhD. The NP profession is moving toward the doctorate in Nursing Practice and why not. You have doctorate of Dentistry, Optometry, Physical Therapy, Psychology, Chriopractic, Osteopathy, all recognized as doctors. Nurses are actually next in line when it comes to medicine, assessing, pharmacology, etc. We are the largest makeup of healthcare, why not a Doctorate in our profession? Doctor of Nursing Practice sounds good, it is about time. Some questions would be raised again. Will employers and the like, prevent us from calling ourselves Doctors from bias reasons?