

Hi all. I am a new graduate RN who is enjoying his first job as a med-surg nurse. I don't know about everyone else, but I am so tired of the nurse practitioner craze that seems to be overtaking the newest wave of graduate RNs. ... Read More

  1. 4
    Quote from TraceyMarino
    Hi everyone: I recently graduated with my FNP and I am working 3 days with a terrific family practice MD, and one day a week iin the urgent care at the hospital. Just a few thoughts:

    I became an NP because I love taking care of people. I love the autonomy, yet I always have back up from my MD, who I consider a mentor and friend.

    He is male and I am female. He now gives all his female patients the option of having their annual exam with me---so far, all the female patients have opted for me doing their annual. I asked him about this, and he said, "you did 200 hours of women's health and OB, that's more than I did in medical school---you enjoy women's health, and having you here in my office gives my female patients a choice, and I am very glad for that". So are the female patients.

    I don't feel like a second fiddle, and I know I am not a doctor. That is okay. It is important to not get your ego wrapped up in what you do for a living. I understand and accept the fact that there are patients who would rather see a doctor. That is fine with me.

    Several of the doctors in our area bring their children to me for their care. I am honored and humbled that they have faith in my skills.

    In the urgent care clinic, I have had patients ask me if they can come see me for all their care---I let them know that yes, they can come see me in the family practice office. I have also had patients get angry with me when they disagree with my plan of care, or diagnosis, and say right to my face--"you're not a doctor, you don't know anything". That's okay.

    Medicine is a very subtle, very subjective process. I have known providers of all stripes who had terrible clinical skills but great bedside manner, and patients flocked to them. I have also known providers who had amazing skills, could save your life, but had terrible bedside manner and therefore patients hated them.

    Go to who you like, trust, who you can talk to. Go to who you have easy access to. I agree with above posters that without NPs and PA's, access to care would be worse than it is now. Other countries have utilized NP's for years with excellent outcomes, and I believe that "mid-levels" are here to stay. I had 7 job offers before I even left school, at every location where I did clinicals. These offers came from physicians, not from administrators, all of whom loved having PA's and NP's working for them and with them. I am always shocked when these "anti-mid-level" comments come from nurses, who, after years of experience will finally appreciate that having an MD is no guarantee that you are gifted at caring for others!
    Beautiful well written and balanced experience and response. I hope I have similar experiences when I become an FNP!

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  2. 0
    Quote from NurseGuyBri
    TraceyMarino - BEAUTIFULLY put. You show what a good attitude and education can produce, and I'd be perfectly fine seeing you as a primary (even as a guy). Thanks - It's easy to forget that an NP is still an RN- and that image needs to be upheld and improved, not pulled down and chopped up. It's even more sad that it's our own fellow nurses that is chopping it up Those who are not in healthcare or nursing see us tearing each other apart sometimes and I'm sure that's hurtful to the image- and yes, image IS important. We will get there, especially with nurses that are compassionate, caring, educated and professional. Thank you!!!
    I agree with you. Before you are anything else, you are a nurse, at least that's my belief. I think its important to never forget the "basics" and that your advanced training and experiences will be successful if you build off of the solid foundation your initial licensure and desire to become a nurse gave you...... And some critical thinking and humility of course.
  3. 0
    Who is this guy (the initial poster)?
  4. 1
    And why are we arguing with him? Its pointless. I'm an NP and I know what I do is important. We dont need to convince this person of anything. Once he/she gets some experience they will understand why there is such an NP "Craze."
    Retired APRN likes this.
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    I'm not very familiar with any family nurse practitioners, but I would think an NP would be very competent and comparable to that of an MD in a PCP position. An NP would be able to consider a patient's complaint, look at lab work and figure out what is going on and what needs to be done. No offense, but you're a MedSurg nurse. You know what your patients need, but when you work in critical care as an RN (which I do) you learn that there's no time to wait for orders from MD. You just do it. If your patient is crashing, you just hang the drips. You know what they need and you do it. If you stood around waiting for a Dr. the patient would be dead. Also, not sure how much experience you've had with House Dr's (especially on night shift) but sometimes you, the RN, knows more than they do and you need to just tell them what to order for the patient, what dose, etc. So maybe you should think about these things before saying the NP is invaluable to primary care. I think they're very valuable and I honestly think NPs listen more and have much better "bedside manner" than Dr's. Gee, I wonder why that would be?? Oh, because they worked at the bedside as RNs before!!!

    Bedside nursing is not the future of nursing at all, especially with Obamacare coming. My hospital just had a meeting and talked about how most care will be done outside of the hospital in outpatient care, home care, clinics, etc. Nurse Practitioners will be very valuable. Also, when you talk about NPs not being able to do surgery. I am pretty sure NPs and PAs harvest saphenous vein grafts from patients during open heart surgery at my old hospital. You are obviously a new nurse and have not seen much in the line of what NPs do. They do the same things PAs do and let me tell you, when the patient's about to crash and burn, having an NP on your unit to give your orders or basically serve as an MD, you will be grateful they are there!!! Like I said, not to belittle you as a medsurg nurse, but if you worked critical care you would probably have a much different viewpoint.
    phillycpnp-pc and joanna73 like this.
  6. 0
    well said!
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    mgh26 likes this.
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    AmyRN303 and keylimesqueez like this.
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    4lotus8 and AmyRN303 like this.


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