Is your doctor a doctor or a nurse with a doctorate?

[avictoria]

Maybe this should be in the 'Life' forum??...anyway I am curious what you all think of this article "When the Nurse Wants to be Called Doctor"
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44748258...called-doctor/

I've encountered nurses that were great, and abysmal MD's, and vice versa.

But when dealing with any health care professional, I personally want to know exactly what their qualifications are. Especially whether I'm dealing with a 1st year resident "Dr." or an attending with years of invaluable experience.

Ex. A rehab/pain management nurse once told me to break up and chew 10mg Oxycontin (????) luckily for me it was only 10 mg and when I was out of my post-surgery haze I read the pamphlet. The idea of her going back to school and calling herself a doctor scares me.

On the other hand, I've encountered some nurses and a lot of physical therapists that seemed to know more than some rehab MD's.

whatcha think?

[PaidMyDues]

They're called noctors.

[avictoria]

noctor knewlittle?

[dan_nc]

Originally Posted by avictoria

But when dealing with any health care professional, I personally want to know exactly what their qualifications are. Especially whether I'm dealing with a 1st year resident "Dr." or an attending with years of invaluable experience.

Why don't you just ask them exactly what their qualifications are?

[SCI-Nurse]

Originally Posted by PaidMyDues

They're called noctors.

Of course this is bogus!

There are many health care professionals who have doctoral degrees. I personally work with nurses who have PhDs (doctoral of philosophy; usually a research oriented degree), DNScs(doctor of nursing science) and DNPs (doctor of nursing practice). I also work with PhDs in psychology, social work, speech pathology, physical therapy, and occupational therapy. All are entitled to the title "doctor". MDs (or DOs) do not own the title "doctor". Their title is actually physician...they should use that, and are entitled to its exclusive use.

Nurses with a doctorate (and some with a masters degree) may have a license to diagnoses and prescribe. These are advanced practice nurses: nurse practitioners (NPs) , some clinical nurse specialists (CNSs), nurse midwives (NMs), and nurse anesthetists (CRNAs). The first two will soon be required to have a doctoral degree (DNP) for entry into practice.

No advance practice nurses that I know are holding themselves out to be physicians. This would be illegal and unethical. They are working more and more within their legal scope of practice, often as PCP (primary care providers) in both inpatient and outpatient care. There a many studies showing that the quality of care provided by advance practice nurses is as good as (and sometimes better) than that provided by physicians.

(KLD)

[GL]

Ty KLD youre the best
I do personally know 3 exceptionally great multi qualified nurses who have masters in psychology and other areas , 2 are advanced and used to prescribe for me long ago they had these capabilities .I think it was called PCP's I forget but you hit the nail on the head

[GL]

Noctors on the graveyard shift theyre nocturnal too I like the Fruit batty ones

[avictoria]

I'm glad that the health care professionals that put in that extra time and effort to further their education are recognized for their accomplishments.

The possible misrepresentation bugs me though...I know of a clinical psychology trainee with a master's that refers to herself as "Dr." and has prepared reports/assesments for custody cases signing herself as 'Dr. -----'. I wonder if that warrants a complaint to the state psychology licensing board??

[WahWah]

Doctors I have utter respect for, particularly one's who been in the game and in the local area for a good number of years, being a Doctor was once a career of large wages and easy hours, these days Doctor are run into the ground with work and ongoing education commitments, yes the money is still probably good.

Nurse's ok, some are to be admired and respected hugely but some, should be gotten onto a spaceship and shot to the moon without spacesuits or breathing apparatus, but be fully televised to every patient who's had to deal with a smug, fat, over made up, overbearing, incompitant, semi retarded, self righteous, doolally skank in a white uniform who's tried to tell you they know what you are going through because they've been a nurse for 5 minutes to 25 years.

"hey doc, you fixed me good, but your nurse should be scrubbin' floors instead of breaking needles off on my ass because she's trying to chat you up".

Just as a side observation: Nurse's trying to be sexy in front of Doctors IS fucking hilarious to watch

No a nurse, is not a doctor and should never be confused with one, nurse's who cultivate an idea that they are as qualified as a Dr. are in need of psychiatric help...get my shotgun maude...STAT!

[Bonnette]

I go by the initials after their names. A medical doctor is known as John Doe, MD; a naturopath, John Doe, ND; a chiropractor, John Doe, DC or simply Dr. Doe; doctor of philosophy, John Doe, Ph.D - and so on.