Hello everyone! I hope you're all safe and healthy!
I'll start off by saying that I was premed for the longest time and enjoyed my science courses. However, being a physician is not my calling and I am currently applying to nursing schools. I have nothing against either nurses or doctors and I am in no way trying to cause conflict. I'm asking these questions because I'm genuinely curious!
I've always been amazed at the wealth of knowledge that doctors have in regard to the nitty gritty details of disorders, biochemical pathways, molecular and cellular biology, and physiology. I like to think of doctors as medical dictionaries (this is the perspective I have of docs because my mother is a surgeon and could talk about anything and everything).
The depth and breadth of medical knowledge between a doctor and a nurse is arguably different since both pathways differ in educational years and emphasis on molecular/biological/chemical/physical knowledge (since they perform different roles, I don't see this as a problem).
I want to ask:
1. For nurses who enjoy learning about the molecular and cellular bases of diseases, did you take it upon yourself to learn more about diseases, anatomy, physiology, Chemistry, physics, biochemistry, etc? Do you feel at all limited when it comes to your medical knowledge? If I want to become a "medical dictionary" can I do this as a nurse?
2. I have read elsewhere that when asked about "why" a procedure is performed, a nurse wouldn't be able to tell you the scientific basis. Do you find this to be true or accurate? If yes, do you think this is dependent on the nurse or on their nursing education itself?
Again, no shade or harm intended. I'm so excited to join the medical field as a nurse and I couldn't think of doing anything else.
Your knowledge isn't limited by a chosen career path. It's only limited by your drive.
As mentioned above, medicine and nursing are entirely different fields. Neither is superior, and neither is interchangeable. We have different skill sets, a fair amount of overlapping knowledge, and a fair amount of role-specific knowledge. A cardiologist couldn't step in and serve as a labor and delivery nurse just because he's a doctor. Physicians need nurses. Nurses need physicians. Patients need both.
There are some brilliant and competent physicians, and there are some ignorant and downright scary physicians. There are some brilliant and competent nurses, and there are some ignorant and downright scary nurses.
Personally, I won't carry out procedures or treatments without understanding the clinical/scientific rationale. Nurses aren't just handmaidens who carry out a list of tasks. 1. We can initiate a fair number of nursing interventions without an order. 2. If there is an order, we should be asking "Why does this patient need this? Does this make sense for this patient? Is this safe for this patient?" You can't answer those questions without a good understanding of patophysiology, pharmacology, a holistic view of your patient, and an understanding of procedures/treatments. We are patient advocates. If a painful/embarrassing/invasive procedure is not clinically indicated for a patient, that's reason to speak up. Alternatively, if the physician has failed to order needed treatments, we speak up.
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Your knowledge isn't limited by a chosen career path. It's only limited by your drive.
As mentioned above, medicine and nursing are entirely different fields. Neither is superior, and neither is interchangeable. We have different skill sets, a fair amount of overlapping knowledge, and a fair amount of role-specific knowledge. A cardiologist couldn't step in and serve as a labor and delivery nurse just because he's a doctor. Physicians need nurses. Nurses need physicians. Patients need both.
There are some brilliant and competent physicians, and there are some ignorant and downright scary physicians. There are some brilliant and competent nurses, and there are some ignorant and downright scary nurses.
Personally, I won't carry out procedures or treatments without understanding the clinical/scientific rationale. Nurses aren't just handmaidens who carry out a list of tasks. 1. We can initiate a fair number of nursing interventions without an order. 2. If there is an order, we should be asking "Why does this patient need this? Does this make sense for this patient? Is this safe for this patient?" You can't answer those questions without a good understanding of patophysiology, pharmacology, a holistic view of your patient, and an understanding of procedures/treatments. We are patient advocates. If a painful/embarrassing/invasive procedure is not clinically indicated for a patient, that's reason to speak up. Alternatively, if the physician has failed to order needed treatments, we speak up.