s/o Do you ask for a doctor instead of a nurse practitioner?

[Anonymous]

I see an NP regularly at my doctor's office. They handle more of the routine things in the practice, but are extremely knowledgeable. I don't feel as though my standard of care is lacking at all.

If my pediatric practice had them, I wouldn't mind at all.

[Anonymous]

No to NP. Especially for my child. Medical school and residency training is important.

I am blunt when I make an appt. "I don't want to see a NP. I want a doctor."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am an NP and I would generally prefer to see the doctor. But at the same time I have had many missed diagnoses by MD's. The bottom line is: see someone you are comfortable with, someone you are comfortable asking questions to, and someone you find to be competent. That being said, I have had a positive experience seeing a PA at the OB/GYN office and was really impressed with her knowledge. I know several really good and intelligent PA's that I would rather see over some physicians.

I'm an NP as well and I always seen physicians except for VERY simple things like strep throat, pap smears, etc.
It's sad but honestly I don't have a great deal of confidence in my own profession. There are some GREAT NPs but also many, many bad ones who are incredibly undertrained My husband is an internist (MD) and he trained for 7 years. I trained for 18 months. These days, you can become an NP online. Enough said.

All of the NP's at my child's practice are RNs with Masters degrees. Their bios are publicly available online.

yes, it's an 18 month master's degree. I have one.

Honestly, this sounds trollish to me. I am a (proud) NP though I would never be offended or look down on someone who chooses to see an MD. For me, I see anyone and judge that individual by their history/exam skills and bedside manner. I've seen good and bad of MDs, NPs and PAs. I have a Bachelors in Nursing, worked for 5 years as a nurse and then went to a 2 year grad program to get my NP. I am also board certified by the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners and recertify every 5 years. I've never been fired by a patient and take care of folks with pretty complicated illnesses and social situations. I always consult with my attending physician if I am unsure or refer to specialists accordingly.

Also the NP/PA competition thing is silly- the education and training is similar with strengths and weaknesses to each.

The education/training I described is pretty standard and I think the PP is being misleading in her post, sounds like she is unhappy with her choices but that is her issue. If I were that ashamed of my profession, I might consider a career change.

[Anonymous]

Yeah, I really don't believe that the person who claims to be a NP is really an NP.

[Anonymous]

This thread is stunning. No wonder so many doctors have a God-complex and love having their egos stroked by doting patients! Be nice to your nurses/nurse practitioners/physician assistants----they keep your doctor from accidentally killing you, particularly in the hospital. Seriously. The general public would be appalled if they got a true glimpse into how healthcare really works behind the scenes and who is doing the lion's share of the work. And to the NP who disparaged her profession---not cool. NP and PA programs may be flawed (much like many medical programs!) but they each have a vital role to fill.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The NP's I know have a BA or BS in anything (not necessarily nursing), plus a one to two year certification program (it si technically not a masters degree, but some say it is - it is a certification program - certificates are very different than masters degrees). The certification requires no screening or acceptance level testing. There are comps only.

Sorry, but this is simply incorrect.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The NP's I know have a BA or BS in anything (not necessarily nursing), plus a one to two year certification program (it si technically not a masters degree, but some say it is - it is a certification program - certificates are very different than masters degrees). The certification requires no screening or acceptance level testing. There are comps only.

Sorry, but this is simply incorrect.

2nd this- completely incorrect info given by "friend of NPs"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The NP's I know have a BA or BS in anything (not necessarily nursing), plus a one to two year certification program (it si technically not a masters degree, but some say it is - it is a certification program - certificates are very different than masters degrees). The certification requires no screening or acceptance level testing. There are comps only.

Sorry, but this is simply incorrect.

Agree---this is just flat-out wrong.

[Anonymous]

We always see the pediatrician. I will talk to the nurses over the phone, when I call in for a problem. But at the appts., they give the babies shots. That's it. If you can't see the pediatrician, change practices.

[Anonymous]

I think the most important thing is, if you want to see a doctor, just make sure you are clear on that when you schedule the appointment. Because there is nothing worse than a patient showing up for their appt with the NP saying "what, i'm not seeing a doctor" and then just messing up everybody's schedules. I work in a doctor's office. I'd say the NPs there are smarter and better at their jobs than about half of the physicians, FYI.

[Anonymous]

Not even an issue in our pediatric practice. I've been taking my kids there for 18 years. No NP at all. Two doctors. I would never go to a practice where healthcare is punted off to NPs. IT's difficult enough now just to police the doctors and make sure their diagnoses and medications are correct. Even more important when helping the elderly. You've got to be on the ball; read up on what you think the issue is; go in with a list of meds and a list of questions and get it right. The doctors and NPs are just too rushed to give every patient the care they need.

[Anonymous]

I always ask to see a doctor. If I am going to take the time to get over there I want to see a doctor. It has been shown that in healthy patient populations who are also well educated, there is little difference in outcome. However in people who are prone to severe illness and lower SES a doctor is warranted. But guess where NPs practice most?

[Anonymous]

I Have a friend that is a NP. She had her RN/BSN...and then went back for more training and a masters for her MSN. Plus she had a residency of sorts at a doctors office. So, they DO GET ADDITIONAL TRAINING AND SCHOOLING.

They arent just RNs that woke up one day and say..."Gee, I think I'll be a NP today"...

In addition, I see NPs and PAs at my various doctors offices. Often they have seen much more than a doc has because they tend to be in the "trenches" more than a doctor has in certain cases. They are friendly and much better in bedside manners.

If its serious, by all means ask for a doctor. But if it were for a minor issue, I would not hesitate to see a NP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We always see the pediatrician. I will talk to the nurses over the phone, when I call in for a problem. But at the appts., they give the babies shots. That's it. If you can't see the pediatrician, change practices.

Please understand, no one is talking about the office nurses that give shots, take vitals and field questions on the phone.
We are talking about board certified, licensed Advanced Practice Nurses/Nurse Practitioners which are different. NPs are independent providers, they are not the same as the office nurse.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I want a board certified doctor who went to Med school in the US, not Mexico or the Carribean. I got into an argument with a receptionist at a doctor's office when I asked if a doctor was board certified. I wanted to book with the board certified doctor and she kept trying to book me with the doctor who went to Med school in Mexico and wasn't board certified. She kept yelling that she had hadn't heard of it so it must not be important.

Same here. It is sure to offend people but I am not making an appointment with a dr. who went to school in Mexico, Caribean, India, or any other developing nation. And amongst US doctors, it matters to me whether they did their residency at Johns Hopkins or VCU. I'm sure there are good doctors from foreign schools and just as many smart people trained at VCU as UPenn but I think if you went to school at/trained at the higher end schools, you are more likely to have seen complex cases and thus are capable of dealing with whatever mundane issue I'm there for.