[NPInfo] what they don't know-the word "nurse" shhhh

Fri Nov 30 16:01:51 PST 2007

I agree. And Doctor Nurse...will be very confusing. I like being a "nurse" and am proud of what my skill set, with years in Emergency and Critical care contained, and now as a Nurse Practitioner, I dont think any of us are debating that. It is the "name" nurse that signifies a whole different thing to the public. And yes "assistant" also is weak.  In spanish (help me out Susana) I believe Nurse Practitioner is something like "Especialiste de Infermera".. and they dont really know what that means, so they say "doctora"...they want a name that means something to them that fits with the picture of the care they want and get. Carla

David Mittman <dmittman at comcast.net> wrote:  It would take national organizations that care about this issue. I can tell
you on the PA side, that they do not. When private polls are done among PAs
80 something percent want a name change. The academy refuses to poll the
profession. If one state did a change many would follow. As I have
previously said on the list the professions name for the first years was
Physician Associate which I would take tomorrow. At least it's not a generic
term.
Dave

On 11/30/07 12:55 PM, "Havens, Shelby" 
wrote:

> 
> Dave:
> 
> I can't wait 30 years, as I will be almost 80 then.
> 
> What would it take to change the name of our professions NOW???
> 
> 
> Regards,
> 
> Shelby
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: npinfo-bounces at nurse.net [mailto:npinfo-bounces at nurse.net] On
> Behalf Of David Mittman
> Sent: Friday, November 30, 2007 11:14 AM
> To: NPinfo
> Subject: Re: [NPInfo] what they don't know-the word "nurse" shhhh
> 
> Same with PAs. Try "assistant" as a key word. Then have a national org
> that
> says that the way you change the perception of the name is by educating
> patients, one at a time when you see them. Even in 500 years an
> assistant
> will only be an assistant. We can diagnose, treat, prescribe, admit,
> discharge and command medical units which NO OTHER assistant can do.
> For today, our names are our names.
> I truly believe that in 30 years both NPs and PAs will be members of a
> new
> profession with a new name. If we keep growing as professions we will
> grow
> out of these names.
> Wait until Doctor Nurse comes out if you want to talk about confusing.
> Dave
> 
> 
> 
> 
> we can On 11/30/07 1:50 AM, "Carla Anderson" 
> wrote:
> 
>> OK,
>> I have to say this, my web hoster was educating me on "key words", and
> how
>> important they are in websites. He does not have any sort of medical
>> background, so he is the typical example of our target audience or
> consumer
>> that watches commercials, reads articles, gains perspectives, warped
> or not,
>> about healthcare, and doctors and nurses. He said very succinctly that
>> regarding health care, the most frequent key words that are googled
> are:
>> health, health care, family doctor, clinic, health clinic. He said the
> word
>> "practitioner" is almost never used or referenced, or looked up, and
> this is
>> his quote not mine, he said: "not to bring you down, but when you
> google the
>> word "nurse" the two main things that are focused on are: jobs and
> sex. -hope
>> I could quote that on the list and be ok. He showed me a string of
> phrases
>> with the word nurse attached, and some were not pretty. As we all
> know, we
>> like humor, and we like jokes, but this is about perception.
>> 
>> In addition, I had Thanksgiving with a family very involved in the
> town I live
>> in. The daughter who was about my age was astounded that I could have
> my own
>> practice. (This is in a state where NPs have had independence for 30
> yrs).
>> She has lived here all of those years. She said she always thought
> when you go
>> to a clinic, you may see "a nurse" , (who may be a nurse
> practitioner-but no
>> one may know).. but if you are "really sick", you see the "real
> doctor".
>> Again, another quote from our consumers/patients. I educated her, and
> she
>> said "oh, so its a marketing issue..." Carla/Oregon
>> 
>> Sue Emmite wrote:
>> I believe the title NP should be standardized over the entire USA.
> Anyone
>> have any ideas about how we would go about that? I am drowning in
> letters
>> after my name which only serve to confuse the patients and families.
>> Physicians don't have a string of titles behind their name. Pretty
> soon we
>> will either have to wear a huge name tag or shorten the credentials
> required
>> by all of the state boards of nursing.
>> 
>> Sue Emmite
>> 
>> On Nov 28, 2007 7:26 PM, suernfnp at iwon.com wrote:
>> 
>>> 
>>> There are many medical assistants with several years of medical
> office
>>> experience that think they have the same knowledge as a RN, and give
> advice
>>> to patients with this belief. The "don't know what they don't know."
>>> 
>>> In the same way, nurses with experience outside the bedside think
> they
>>> have as much knowledge as a NP. They believe their additional
> experience
>>> outside the realm of staff nursing gives them the knowledge they need
> to be
>>> APNs. Again they "don't know what they don't know."
>>> 
>>> I have a friend who earned her MSN with me, but did not want to
> complete
>>> the post-master's NP program. At that time (1999)it was possible to
> short
>>> cut this and be grandfathered in by taking the NP exam based on your
> MSN and
>>> additional nursing experience (she practices in cardiology). She
> failed the
>>> exam twice, then the grandfather time period ran out. She found out
> the hard
>>> way what she did not know.
>>> 
>>> She is still practicing as a cardiology APN (this is what her badge
> and
>>> lab coat say) at my hospital, at the same or higher salary than I
> make.
>>> However, I can and do practice in other facilities, where she would
> have a
>>> hard time finding a similar position outside of our hospital.
>>> 
>>> I believe we should stick to the title nurse practitioner and avoid
> use of
>>> the term advanced practice nurse. The title nurse practitioner has a
> legal
>>> and professional definition, while any RN who wants to can call
> themselves
>>> an advanced practice nurse and put it on their badge and lab coat to
>>> legitimize their role. Who is there to stop them?
>>> 
>>> Do I think the DNP will legitimize our role? I've looked at the
> program at
>>> my alma mater, and one of my friends is currently enrolled. The
> courses are
>>> called "Health Care Informatics", "Leadership and Collaboration",
> "Advanced
>>> Nursing Theory", "Advanced Research Methods", and "Health Systems
> Policy and
>>> Regulation." In no way will it change how I am practicing today. It
> would
>>> not earn me a dime more in salary at my current position. I would be
> forever
>>> explaining what the initials stand for, much as I need to explain
> what APRN
>>> stands for on the business cards the hospital printed for me. I would
> much
>>> prefer to earn a PhD as a terminal degree, as this degree is
> recognized
>>> everywhere. If only I had the time and money! Maybe someday.
>>> 
>>> Sue D in MI
>>> 
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> 
>>> 
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>> 
>> 
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Carla R. Anderson, FNP-C
  Healing Presence Family Practice, PC  
  carla_rayne at yahoo.com
  503 819 9726