What if all docs had to nurses first?????

meownsmile, BSN, RN · Apr 2, 2004

If all docs had to be nurses first, we wouldnt have any doctors

AlaskanRN · Apr 2, 2004

I have worked with two different doctors that were nurses first.

On one hand, it makes them more tolerant of what is involved with nursing care in the ED (eg. the time it takes to juggle all your pts, get everything they want done when they want it, etc...)

On the other hand, they sometimes are more of a nuisance when they are trying to do your job as well as their own. More than once I've wanted to tell them..."You do your part and I'll do mine and it will go much faster for everyone!" They sometimes revert back to their nursing days and get so caught up in pt care that the nurse is left with nothing to do and the doc is tied up way too long with the tasks that normally would be taken care of by the nurse (getting warm blankets, another pillow, a commode etc).

There are pros and cons to having a Former Nurse/Doctor. My only experience has been with female docs, so it may be different with male Nurse/Doctors.

unknown99, BSN, RN · Apr 2, 2004

If all docs had to be nurses first, we wouldnt have any doctors

So True!!! :rotfl:

Roland · Apr 2, 2004

On top of that your average doctor would be 40 before they "graduated" from their residency. Also, don't forget that many of the "atheist", pinheaded, scientifically orientated docs look down upon much of nursing. If they even touched nursing they would consider themselves unclean!

Tweety, BSN, RN · Apr 2, 2004

The current Chief of Staff at work used to be a nurse. She's one of the best, most compassionate, most enthusiastic doctors I've ever met, plus the nurses on the units she most closely associates with adore her. (Probably the docs hate her.)

I love your idea. It would weed out some bad apples. :)

imenid37 · Apr 2, 2004

If all docs had to be nurses first, we wouldnt have any doctors

I couldn't agree more! :chuckle

missmercy · Apr 2, 2004

I doubt that many of our docs could handle it:p

CC NRSE · Apr 2, 2004

i have often said it should be a prereq for medical school. then maybe we wouldn't get so many stupid and unreasonable orders!!! if only they could walk a day in our shoes!!! :rolleyes:

MryRose · Apr 2, 2004

Great info... thanks for replying! Since I am a mere pre-nursing student, I've only been on the pateint end of the doctor relationship. It's interesting to read your commentary regarding docs in all the threads.

Which are more "challenging" (lol being pc here) to work with, male or female docs?

Hugs!!

MaryRose :)

sbic56, BSN, RN · Apr 2, 2004

I dunno. I worked with an OB that was an LPN first. He was the most miserable SOB you can imagine and treated the nurses like crap, though his patients adored him. Did not remember where he came from, that's for sure!

GracefulRN · Apr 2, 2004

I am a little torn on this issue. While I think that have nursing be a pre-req for medical school would increase the understanding and appreciation of the discipline of nursing, I also think it might re-inforce to the unindoctrinated the presumption that nurses are "mini-doctors" and are therefore inferior. Maybe instead of requiring it as a "pre-req" nursing could be a "co-requisite", now I know that it might seem like I am arguing semantics, but if the doctors-in-training were required to take nursing courses or do a rotation as a nurse, they might take the profession of nursing more seriously and value opinions nurses give more.