Why DNP and not MD?

AndersRN · Dec 5, 2015

Will we be ok if pharmacists, OT, PT and other personnels with PhD or doctorate introduce themselves as doctors? Most people would say no!

allnurses Guide · Dec 5, 2015

I am not aware that physicians are against NP calling themselves doctors anywhere else except healthcare setting, because it's confusing... Lets be real here! There were many NP with PhD degree that were not pushing the for the 'doctor' title in healthcare settings... We all understand what's going on here!
I was not against it until I had to clarify so many times to patients that DNP are not 'doctors'.... even if that DNP just introduced him/herself to these patients as: 'I am doctor [insert], I am a nurse practitioner...' Now I don't spend the little time I have explaining the nuances except telling these patients 'he/she is not a doctor.' I pretty much when a few of them do that.

Yeah, let's be real a Doctorate is an academic degree. A doctorate is not a profession. A DNP/MD/DO/PhD/DNSc/PharmD etc. have all earned the right to use the title Doctor if they choose to do so. The idea that a nurse calling themselves Doctor is somehow going to hurt patients is lunacy and does nothing but protect someone's ego.

allnurses Guide · Dec 5, 2015

Will we be ok if pharmacists, OT, PT and other personnels with PhD or doctorate introduce themselves as doctors? Most people would say no!

How do you know most people would say no?! Do you really think most patients care if someone calls themselves Dr. X your pharmacist/ST/PT/OT etc. Most patients only care about getting quality healthcare services in an efficient manner. Most patients couldn't care less if you call yourself

Igor and walk hunched over as long as you do a good job.

The people that care most about this debate are other healthcare professionals not patients which are truly the ones that matter. There is no patient safety issue here what is being hurt is some people's egos and one profession trying make the public and everyone else believe they are the only profession that has a doctorate in healthcare.

AndersRN · Dec 5, 2015

Yeah, let's be real a Doctorate is an academic degree. A doctorate is not a profession. A DNP/MD/DO/PhD/DNSc/PharmD etc. have all earned the right to use the title Doctor if they choose to do so. The idea that a nurse calling themselves Doctor is somehow going to hurt patients is lunacy and does nothing but protect someone's ego.

Saying that it will hurt patients MIGHT be a stretch because I am not aware of any research that concludes that... But ignoring that it will create confusion if everyone with a doctorate or a PhD introduces themselves as doctor in these settings is a little disingenuous. You are aware that there were some hospitals that tried to put physician on 'doctor's' badge and had to revert themselves and put DOCTOR again because some patients did not know what a physician is...

AndersRN · Dec 5, 2015

How do you know most people would say no?! Do you really think most patients care if someone calls themselves Dr. X your pharmacist/ST/PT/OT etc. Most patients only care about getting quality healthcare services in an efficient manner. Most patients couldn't care less if you call yourself Egor and walk hunched over as long as you do a good job.
The people that care most about this debate are other healthcare professionals not patients which are truly the ones that matter. There is no patient safety issue here what is being hurt is some people's egos and one profession trying make the public and everyone else believe they are the only profession that has a doctorate in healthcare.

Of course we (healthcare professionals) should care because we are the ones that have to explain to these patients the nuances...

If it satisfies DNP ego, they are welcome to use the title... But that does not add anything to the care of these patients. It only does one thing--it creates confusion.

allnurses Guide · Dec 5, 2015

Of course we (healthcare professionals) should care because we are the ones that have to explain to these patients the nuances...
If it satisfies DNP ego, they are welcome to use the title... But that does not add anything to the care of these patients. It only does one thing--it creates confusion.

What it does bring recognition that someone other than a physician can have a doctorate.

It isn't egotistical to use a title that you have earned. What is egotistical is trying to deny a whole profession the right to an earned title a the that it could cause patient confusion.

When did it become a bad thing to educate patients.

AndersRN · Dec 5, 2015

What it does bring recognition that someone other than a physician can have a doctorate.
It isn't egotistical to use a title that you have earned. What is egotistical is trying to deny a whole profession the right to an earned title a the that it could cause patient confusion.
When did it become a bad thing to educate patients.

I can educate patients about what it takes to become a pharmacist or a RN etc.. Do you think that will make ANY difference in their recovery? I did not know if that was part of my job description to educate patient about irrelevant stuff...

Why is important for NP to call themselves doctors? I thought it was about the patients. I guess it's ok to get them more confused when they are vulnerable...

Bluebolt · Dec 5, 2015

sounds like they are getting shammed i woulda made 165k+ this year working 42 hours a week if i would have continued working. My bosses made 2-3x that as docs with less work. If you don't believe me ill pm you a copy of my paystub up to august showing almost 120k for little over half a years work
I know what all the docs make in my rural southeast area and the only ones not making 200k are the attending at the local residency (who might work 10 hours per week) or docs that don't work period.
Varies by location of course.
A physician hospitalist make 150k? Thats what i did as an np covering IM floors and ICU at night and made that. Our hospital makes well over 300k
Really, I do not know where you get your numbers from because either 1. your lying or 2. they are totally getting shammed hard.
Rural medicine makes bank, even though it isn't all about the money.

Show me your research sources showing that average rural family practice nets $300,000 annually. Anyone who would say physicians lie about their income as an anonymous number for research for law suit purposes is ridiculous.

These accounts created by MD wannabe trolls are completely out of hand. As I've stated previously your ludicrous opinions and statements with nothing to back it up, no reputable statistics and nothing but the fake clinical background you cite is useless to myself and anyone with an IQ above 100.

If you're going to list such outlandish and controversial statements then please list the research it's based off of, or just keep your false comments to yourself.

synaptic · Dec 5, 2015

I think you've called everybody that disagrees with you on this forum a troll, CNA, wannabe(something). Obviously the world revolves around the great bluebolt who trys to brag about himself in every single post he places about how he's traveled america and won the nursing grammy award 36 years running.

Just bc somebody has experienced something different than you and doesn't have the same opinion doesn't mean they are a troll. Jeez for a nurse you think very highly of yourself lol.

Why do I need research to state how much rural fp make when my bosses openly told me what they bring in every year? I have primary information, don't need anything else. You must not have any real Dr. friends if think they only make 175k, unless they in academia or something lol.

You have a chip on your shoulder.

allnurses Guide · Dec 6, 2015

I can educate patients about what it takes to become a pharmacist or a RN etc.. Do you think that will make ANY difference in their recovery? I did not know if that was part of my job description to educate patient about irrelevant stuff...
Why is important for NP to call themselves doctors? I thought it was about the patients. I guess it's ok to get them more confused when they are vulnerable...

Why is important for physicians, dentists, and podiatrists to call themselves Doctor, if it is all about the patient?

No one said it is your specific job to educate the patient about these differences in job titles. It is the job of the person introducing themselves to clarify who they are and how they are there to treat/help the patient. Physicians tend to be the worst at explaining things to patients not APRNs.

allnurses Guide · Dec 6, 2015

I think you've called everybody that disagrees with you on this forum a troll, CNA, wannabe(something). Obviously the world revolves around the great bluebolt who trys to brag about himself in every single post he places about how he's traveled america and won the nursing grammy award 36 years running.
Just bc somebody has experienced something different than you and doesn't have the same opinion doesn't mean they are a troll. Jeez for a nurse you think very highly of yourself lol.
Why do I need research to state how much rural fp make when my bosses openly told me what they bring in every year? I have primary information, don't need anything else. You must not have any real Dr. friends if think they only make 175k, unless they in academia or something lol.
You have a chip on your shoulder.

I think it is highly suspicious when someone shows up on a nursing forum and his/her every post has been to talk bad about APRNs/DNPs and how they are inferior to physicians.

elkpark · Dec 6, 2015

Saying that it will hurt patients MIGHT be a stretch because I am not aware of any research that concludes that... But ignoring that it will create confusion if everyone with a doctorate or a PhD introduces themselves as doctor in these settings is a little disingenuous. You are aware that there were some hospitals that tried to put physician on 'doctor's' badge and had to revert themselves and put DOCTOR again because some patients did not know what a physician is...

I've worked in psychiatric settings, inpatient and outpatient, for over 30 years -- there have been doctorally-prepared psychologists (PhD or PsyD) in all those settings, and all those psychologists have gone by "Dr. So-and-so" at work. No one has questioned that or had any problem with that, including all the psychiatrists, who considered it only reasonable that individuals use the title they have earned. Even seriously mentally ill individuals have had no difficulty keeping track of who is the physician, who is the psychologist, and what the difference is between the two roles.