"CNAs think their nurses, Nurses think they are physicians, physicians think they are gods" - a housekeeper's observation at Gwinnett Medical Center, circa 2010.
NPs are great if a patient needs meds refilled, updated and or regular testing for ongoing medical conditions already monitored by a primary doctor. I’ll only see an NP if my primary doctor isn’t available and I need meds refilled. I don’t rely on NPs for diagnoses.
They stretch MD(s) too far. NPs are awesome but limited in medications they can prescribe and procedures they can perform without MD oversite. To many increases the workload of the few MDs you have. There has to be a balance. OR Healthcare will be compromised.
As a complimentary position, like it is intended, I agree. It would actually help patients. However, in the corporate world, where all decisions are decided by profit, this leads to less MDs and all MDs stretched even more as they now will “oversee” 2x patients. Patients suffer but profits up
This is exactly correct. If used appropriately, they can significantly help patient populations. But if asked to overextend as private equity typically asks them to do, they can lead to decreased outcomes.
what’s a bigger risk to patient safety though? Cause i know a LOT of nurses, from LPNs to CRNPs. Curious as to what those with more MD friends would say
Oh hell no. I knw too many. NP personally who are whack. How they passed the licensing is beyond me. I guess the same way some
Ppl
Can pay to to for
LSAT scores. Bar exams and and other entrance / exit exams. There are scams everywhere
While NP's are helpful I've noticed over the years too many doctors are abandoning their practices to them and just raking in the profits. I now a woman doctor who is always in the office and sees me when I have an appointment which was not true for the male doctors I "use" to see.
Nurse practitioners are NOT doctors. They are not trained as doctors. They can not replace doctors. I know, I’m married to a physician. These NPs are dangerous bc they are being given power they are not qualified to have to save money.
My daughter went to the ER and was shown to have a golf ball sized gall stone. The brilliant PA sent her home with drugs, telling her that people live with stones all the time. She needed surgery ASAP. Her gall bladder was necrotic and affixed to her liver. She would have died without surgery.
This is a damn shame! They destroy the quality of everything and our safety in the name of a dollar!!! How many people must die before healthcare gets an overhaul?
So has anyone sat down and tried to figure out how to make it more equitable to stay in medicine? Maybe we should focus on better opportunities for quality training and incentivize the field. How about trimming Administrative fat in these giant health conglomerates? #healthcare #nursing
My dad taught me when seeking a good doctor pay attention to where they interned and what university. I support PA but they don’t replace a doctor. All college for doctors should be free if they dedicate time to inner city or rural medical places afterwards
The alternative is zero trained caregivers & closed clinics.
These stories, which the AMA pushes out, never say that the alternative is nothing. Not a bunch of MDs who want to work in unserved, isolated, & rural areas.
That is a fair argument for underserved areas, but what about the giant academic medical systems in large metro areas, with very complex patient populations, that are also staffed with mostly NPs?
Sure. And in those situations, patients with good insurance or money have many options, the poor do not. If state or federal regulators insisted on a higher MD to NP or PA ratio, many institutions would reduce hours or drop some services.
They’re rated and those ratings require certain ratios of MD’s, RN’s and APP’s (NP/PA). Not only that they’re regulated and state boards would never allow that hospital to be staffed with “mostly NP’s”
Designing the system to filter to right level is a challenge. In a public healthcare system, I've found regular nurses diagnose and treat minor issues far, far better than doctors who are liable to sort into "take antibiotic" or "buy medical device", rather than say "this is the lifestyle cause"
The real problem is that even in countries that do not have a US style health care system, we are not producing enough MDs, RNs, or Psychology clinicians to support the population & drive down prices. Those are (bad IMO) policy choices about education funding, accreditation & licensing.
The scope of practice is the key. The Public needs to be aware that an NP is not a doctor & mindful of the impact. It takes yrs of ed/training to become an MD, less so for an NP = cost savings. Same is true for specialists. Responsible healthcare professionals adhere to the standards of practice.
As a nurse Practioner, we’ve never claimed we wanted to substitute doctors. We provide a service and when needed refer or seek opinion. Looks like they’re coming for the nurses now…. When will they learn that when we go on strike…ALL healthcare grinds to a halt
NPs have different scopes. Your poorly researched article reflects ignorant journalism. Looks like you’re instigating a turf war because some dislike the well documented + impact of NPs on healthcare.
Nurse practitioners misdiagnosed my breast cancer & my melanoma. I got 2nd opinions from real MDs & survived. NPs are not equipped to practice serious medicine. I avoid them whenever possible.
The VA switched my dad to a NP who immediately diagnosed him as diabetic. Didn't ask about his diet or do ANY tests. Wanted to put him on harsh meds. I told him to get a glucometer & test himself.
There are many good people in medicine but without the training, education and tenure an NP is still an NP.
The point of the article is that some of the media portrays NPs as physicians (equal to) and some of the Public believes so. They are not. Each professional designation has parameters.
Actually there are NPs who does better job than doctors and if certain training’s were given to them they can pick it up. Also I feel doctors are way overpaid as some people believe they are better.
My mom is great doctor and my wife is nurse practitioner both are passionate about their careers.
I am a NP who works in a hospital setting and have many colleagues who do as well. I have fixed physician diagnostic errors and treatment errors countless times. I have seen flawed practice among physicians that scare me. All disciplines have good and bad persons. This article is very inaccurate.
NPs have their role in healthcare but they should not be wholly substituted for MDs/DOs since their depth and breadth of knowledge is vastly inferior. The real bottleneck is the number of residencies available to medical students once they graduate. We need more doctors, period.
The real problem: greedy corporations that will do anything to maximize profits, even if it puts patients at risk. Implying that nurse practitioners are somehow a menace is just really gross. Do better, ffs.
More doctors. We make the hurdles so dramatic, expensive and difficult to become a doctor, to where doctoring has become a nepo-based industry. Free school for doctors with no upfront costs to them, and add more seats and more classes dedicated to Pre-Med and MD programs.
Additional thought, if we could find a way to make rural areas viable for more people and more industries, we can solve the housing problem extremely quickly. Failing that, we should implement the Buffalo Commons plan
I understand your dream and I also wish it would come true. The main challenge would be how do you make underserved communities attractive enough for someone highly educated and in demand to stay there.
I would live rural if I could but I can't afford to. Doctors have that problem only more so.
Comments
Ppl
Can pay to to for
LSAT scores. Bar exams and and other entrance / exit exams. There are scams everywhere
These stories, which the AMA pushes out, never say that the alternative is nothing. Not a bunch of MDs who want to work in unserved, isolated, & rural areas.
They’re rated and those ratings require certain ratios of MD’s, RN’s and APP’s (NP/PA). Not only that they’re regulated and state boards would never allow that hospital to be staffed with “mostly NP’s”
NPs have different scopes. Your poorly researched article reflects ignorant journalism. Looks like you’re instigating a turf war because some dislike the well documented + impact of NPs on healthcare.
Do better.
https://www.aanp.org/advocacy/advocacy-resource/position-statements/quality-of-nurse-practitioner-practice
He's not diabetic. NP still refuses to test. 😡
The point of the article is that some of the media portrays NPs as physicians (equal to) and some of the Public believes so. They are not. Each professional designation has parameters.
My mom is great doctor and my wife is nurse practitioner both are passionate about their careers.
Healing hearts beyond compare,
While doctors diagnose the pain,
It’s nurses' hands that ease the strain.
I would live rural if I could but I can't afford to. Doctors have that problem only more so.