Idea for NP and DNPs who want independence

[strv04]

I got an idea.

If NP or DNP claim to provide care just as well as MDs and want to practice independently and such why don't they just go ahead and do it. Chiropractors, chinese medicine and homeopathic doctors exist in our country and they educate, practice, self regulate themselves perfectly fine. Why don't nurses do this. Start your own medical philosphy based on treating patients under the nursing princples you are learning. If your medical care is just as good as the care provided by MDs and DOs then patients will come just as they come to all those other brands of care. You don;t need the approval of the MD Do community and you don;t have to take our USMLE tests. Charge a fair price or work with insurance companies as these other groups do. And if something is beyond your care tell the patient where to go just as any decent chiropracter or homeopath would tell their patient that the back pain can wait and they need to get to the ER becasue there having a stroke.

Whats stoping NP and DNPs from doing this?

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[zenman]

I think most NPs and DNPs are going to do as much as their state Board of Nursing allows as they are the boss.

 

[medium rare]

NPs have independent/autonomous authority (including Rx) in 11 states and 1 jurisdiction (District of Columbia). In these locations, they are already doing this.

 

[silas2642]

I got an idea.

If NP or DNP claim to provide care just as well as MDs and want to practice independently and such why don't they just go ahead and do it. Chiropractors, chinese medicine and homeopathic doctors exist in our country and they educate, practice, self regulate themselves perfectly fine. Why don't nurses do this. Start your own medical philosphy based on treating patients under the nursing princples you are learning. If your medical care is just as good as the care provided by MDs and DOs then patients will come just as they come to all those other brands of care. You don;t need the approval of the MD Do community and you don;t have to take our USMLE tests. Charge a fair price or work with insurance companies as these other groups do. And if something is beyond your care tell the patient where to go just as any decent chiropracter or homeopath would tell their patient that the back pain can wait and they need to get to the ER becasue there having a stroke.

Whats stoping NP and DNPs from doing this?

Probably nothing, but I'd think that patient safety on our side of the fence should be a concern.

 

[prairiedog]

I got an idea.

If NP or DNP claim to provide care just as well as MDs and want to practice independently and such why don't they just go ahead and do it. Chiropractors, chinese medicine and homeopathic doctors exist in our country and they educate, practice, self regulate themselves perfectly fine. Why don't nurses do this. Start your own medical philosphy based on treating patients under the nursing princples you are learning. If your medical care is just as good as the care provided by MDs and DOs then patients will come just as they come to all those other brands of care. You don;t need the approval of the MD Do community and you don;t have to take our USMLE tests. Charge a fair price or work with insurance companies as these other groups do. And if something is beyond your care tell the patient where to go just as any decent chiropracter or homeopath would tell their patient that the back pain can wait and they need to get to the ER becasue there having a stroke.

Whats stoping NP and DNPs from doing this?

MDs

 

[silas2642]

MDs

As they should; although I must say they're not doing a great job. At the rate they're going I think the NP's are projected to take over the world by 2020.

 

[badasshairday]

As they should; although I must say they're not doing a great job. At the rate they're going I think the NP's are projected to take over the world by 2020.

And exacerbate the REAL nursing shortage.

 

[Farmer Jane]

And exacerbate the REAL nursing shortage.

That is my exact frustration with the emphasis on nurses "moving up" to become NPs. We need experienced nurses to become experienced nurses, clinical nurse specialists, nurse managers, nurse educators, going into nursing informatics, nursing law, etc. Becoming an NP is effectively leaving the profession. I understand the drive (I'll soon be applying for grad school myself) to step away from bedside nursing given the current setting of low staff levels and insane policies, but ultimately having all the experienced nurses going to medicine (whether they admit it or not) leaves nursing even more shortchanged.

 

[ChillyRN]

That is my exact frustration with the emphasis on nurses "moving up" to become NPs. We need experienced nurses to become experienced nurses, clinical nurse specialists, nurse managers, nurse educators, going into nursing informatics, nursing law, etc. Becoming an NP is effectively leaving the profession. I understand the drive (I'll soon be applying for grad school myself) to step away from bedside nursing given the current setting of low staff levels and insane policies, but ultimately having all the experienced nurses going to medicine (whether they admit it or not) leaves nursing even more shortchanged.

What percentage of RNs are leaving the traditional nursing role to become APNs? I have no idea, and I can't really form an opinion w/o facts.

That said, I believe in a market economy, but people are not widgets. I think there need to be some standards. Therein lies my concern with the DNP, it varies too much from school to school. Attainment of the doctorate should make it clear that a certain level of skill and compentency has been ascertained. I don't think the present system is doing that, which is concerning. It is just so new, it make take 10 years to work it out. Hopefully they will get there, for everyone's sake.

 

[Farmer Jane]

I really don't know the numbers--I'm just seeing a LOT in my own life, and quite often they're strong, experienced nurses. They're sick and tired of hospital work, and I don't blame them--I'm also wanting to leave but in a different direction.

 

[maceo]

I really don't know the numbers--I'm just seeing a LOT in my own life, and quite often they're strong, experienced nurses. They're sick and tired of hospital work, and I don't blame them--I'm also wanting to leave but in a different direction.

Nurses are whiners. They dont know what hard work is. What they do is not that darn hard. all they do is whine whine whine..

 

[ChillyRN]

I really don't know the numbers--I'm just seeing a LOT in my own life, and quite often they're strong, experienced nurses. They're sick and tired of hospital work, and I don't blame them--I'm also wanting to leave but in a different direction.

Are you in a major medical center? I suspect there is more gravitation to APN in that cohort. I am in a rural community enviornment now, and I can't even convince them to institute a clinical ladder, much less put forth an agenda of advanced education. When I was at U of Michigan hospital system, many "bedside" nurses I worked with in the units there (I was crit care float pool prn) had MSNs and may or may ot have been looking at advanced practice. They did publish a lot. They were such a bright group of leaders and innovators. I don't see that level of practice here. There are a handful of outstanding nurses at my current workplace, but adminstration has set the bar rather low, and not everyone lives up to it. I do see examples ofthe kind of nursing practice that I suspect some of these medical students are referring to with such rancor. It is dissapointing, but those nurses are not representative of my practice, and everyone I work with knows it. Age and experience have taught me to concern myself only with my own performance and reputation, lol. There are not enough hours in a shift to do my own work sometimes, much less concern myself with anyone elses.

I do wonder if the ANA is keeping track of those kind of stats. Who goes into nsg with the intention of AP from the start vs. who glides there over time like me, etc. Sounds like a capstone project for some enthusistic MSN leadership student!

 

[Farmer Jane]

Yep, major medical center. In the past I've worked in rural health and like you, was frustrated with the lack of advancement. I love what I do now, but I can't say I want to do it forever, and giving the first section of my username I really don't think my unwillingness to work hard is the problem.