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What is scary, IMO, is the rushed American doctor who charges a fortune for his services, and prescribes and prescribes many medications for the same patient.
I have been treated by nurse practitioners and physician assistants several times, and was impressed with the amount of time and quality of personal interaction. I would not have qualms, unless we were talking about surgery.
I spent a good number of years as a volunteer companion/caretaker for terminally ill persons. I will never forget one day in what was purported to be the the latest and greatest nursing home for the terminally ill in NYC for persons with HIV. I was standing next to the nurses station as the doctor in charge of the facility was reviewing and evaluating the medications for the patients as a nurse read him the names and recorded his orders.
The first couple or three went routinely, about number four the doctor gave his orders and the nurse looked up and said in a cold voice, "Dr. I told you, the patient is taking A and B medication, if we give her C as you have just ordered she will go into shock and could die." The dr. did and quick, "Oh, yes," and changed his orders. A couple of more patients were reviewed. Then the nurse read out the condition and medications for the next, and the doctor gaves his orders. I will never forget what happened next: She slammed the book closed and shouted at him, "If we give him that, HE WILL DIE!!!!!!!!!!!"
The jerk turned red, smirked (!) and changed the order.
I left.
Don't believe that M.D. after someone's name is any gold-plated guarantee if competence.
I have received care from PAs before for minor, everyday things like flu, UTIs, etc. They're perfectly capable of diagnosing and treating these extremely common run-of-the-mill conditions; why pay extra for a doctor when a PA will do?
Some of the biggest idiots I've worked with are MDs. I can easily think of half a dozen times I've had to correct a doctor when they wanted to prescribe something that's either flat out wrong, dangerous, or the wrong dosage. Some of the best providers I've worked with are mid-levels (PA or NP).
As a future NP I look forward to my scope of practice increasing and being able to provide diagnostic services with a nurses touch.
What is scary, IMO, is the rushed American doctor who charges a fortune for his services, and prescribes and prescribes many medications for the same patient.
I have been treated by nurse practitioners and physician assistants several times, and was impressed with the amount of time and quality of personal interaction. I would not have qualms, unless we were talking about surgery.
I spent a good number of years as a volunteer companion/caretaker for terminally ill persons. I will never forget one day in what was purported to be the the latest and greatest nursing home for the terminally ill in NYC for persons with HIV. I was standing next to the nurses station as the doctor in charge of the facility was reviewing and evaluating the medications for the patients as a nurse read him the names and recorded his orders.
The first couple or three went routinely, about number four the doctor gave his orders and the nurse looked up and said in a cold voice, "Dr. I told you, the patient is taking A and B medication, if we give her C as you have just ordered she will go into shock and could die." The dr. did and quick, "Oh, yes," and changed his orders. A couple of more patients were reviewed. Then the nurse read out the condition and medications for the next, and the doctor gaves his orders. I will never forget what happened next: She slammed the book closed and shouted at him, "If we give him that, HE WILL DIE!!!!!!!!!!!"
The jerk turned red, smirked (!) and changed the order.
I left.
Don't believe that M.D. after someone's name is any gold-plated guarantee if competence.
My daughter is in her last year of nursing school. One of the items I put in her graduation gift basket is a T-shirt that says:
" Nurses are the ones that keep your doctor from killing you"
So very true!
I'll take a NP or a PA any day over a doctor.
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Thanks Elnina!
