[NPInfo] Reply to Carla and others Names and other names

Tue Sep 4 16:25:39 PDT 2007

I wrote a few days ago and thought I posted but obviously I did not. It is
still appropriate. Just putting this out to think about. NOT saying things
need to suddenly change.

At the risk of teaking off half the list, you ladies and gents do the same
type of rationalizing about what to call yourselves that PAs do, except that
you have nurse thrown in the mix As we have seen, some NPs on our list say
they should NOT be described as "nurses", only as NPs, while others are OK
with it. There is a larger problem going on with all this.
IN MY REALITY ONLY,
the problem with an NP being a "nurse" by title in an interview or an
article (not by profession or
history) is much deeper than we may admit. Laura, Carla, Eric I would love
to meet you both because you are very good clinicians and very good people.
I admire your passion for nursing as I have always had it for being a PA. We
have so much in common so..............
Please try to follow my logic on this, I hope I can put it  out in writing
in the manner it is intended. This is not a we against you problem but a
problem I feel both our professions have with our name:

The national PA organization tells PA the name physician assistant is the
right one for the profession. The problem is that NO "assistant" in our
society does not diagnose, treat, or prescribe let alone win the
"FLIGHT SURGEON Of The Year Award".  So the poor individual PA is trying to
teach society that an assistant does 90% what the "real" person does, which
is impossible.  ASSISTANT does not equal doctor, unless PAs actually treat
people and they get to know us. Now consider legislators, the AARP, national
health policy people. To them an assistant has to be considerably less than
the assisted. To say PAs do what docs do is twenty times harder for people
to believe just because of our name. For the record I prefer physician
associate (at least it does not have any preconcieved perception) for the
next 10 years and them something completely new when PA doctorates arrive.
So we now have NPs saying the same thing, " generally we provide physician
level services" is the fast message that I am sure 95% of NPs would agree
with. EXCEPT that to almost everyone in America like it or not, nurse does
not equal doctor. It's just the way it is. I truly understand you don't want
to be a doc. I truly understand you don't want to practice medicine as they
do, but something new and possibly better. It's just that today the public
does not and may never equate nurse with doctor. It's a triple uphill battle
because to the same legislators and health policy people when you say you
are a nurse that's great, but people still expect doctors to make the doctor
decisions. Assistant does not = doctor, nor does nurse to most. After many
years of telling people what I am NOT time and  time again, I have come to
think that we are trying to put a huge round peg into a small round hole. I
think the fantastic growth and acceptance both our professions have had is
even more remarkable because of our names.
Notice I did not say practitioner in this. I think (although many NPs
disagree) that practitioner elevates the title and is a good word.
I know heaven forbid but might it have been easier if NPs were called
"health care practitioners" from the beginning and PAs "medical care
practitioners", or even medics (before paramedics used the word)? I once
heard that a name thrown around  once was "nurse physician" for NPs. PAs
even had syniatrist tossed about.
I hope I have made myself clear? I love NPs and PAs, just think the names
give us much baggage now that we try to explain that we provide physician
level services. We are evolving and expect our names to keep up with us.
Sometimes (PAs being much worse) I don't think they have.
Thanks for the  opportunity.
Dave
On 9/4/07 2:21 AM, "Carla Anderson" <carla_rayne at yahoo.com> wrote:

> Regarding how people are called, I think that some people might find it
> patronizing, others may not, for example if a doctor who is a Medical Director
> or owner of an urgent care employs other doctors, and is referring to them
> when talking to patients such as "my doctors do this, or my doctors follow
> this policy"...even with doctor to doctor there could be offense taken,
> depending on the tone of voice, is it like family with affection and pride, or
> is it authoritative? . So I think that is not really a visibility issue, but
> again a role and hierarchy issue. Regarding mas, if the ma is assigned for the
> day to work with you, I might say to a patient my ma will get you this...or
> refer to her by name...but I would not collectively call them "my ma's" unless
> I was paying them,  It is a smaller issue than visibility, but about being
> courteous to people's feelings and again considering views about hierarchy and
> being a team player and empowerment of all employees, I still think it
> goes back to courtesy and communication. Just ask at the beginning, if you
> employ people, and say does it bother you if I refer to you as such and such?
> Some people may not even be aware of how they sound or what they say.
>  
> But on the other topic, I do think to get back to Shelby's comment about
> invisibility, unless we are truly working in an NP owned/and/or operated
> clinic, and this in combination with repetitive public education from direct
> experience as a patient of the NP owned clinic and through various repeated
> frequent media outlets,  I do not think there will be total comprehension of
> the NP role by the public due to the imbedded historical definition of what a
> nurse is and does, and has done for roles in the past. And some say, who
> cares, but again I believe the perception IS important because the perception
> is what carries over into having a practice, and having people view you as a
> provider in your own right, and thus wanting to come see you as a patient, and
> thus allowing your practice to grow, while at the same time having collegueal
> relationships in the community with cardiologists, neurosurgeons,
> chiropractors, massage therapists, the emergency departments,  etc, so that we
> truly can practice as professionals, follow our passion, and thrive in all
> aspects in our respective specialties. It is not easy, especially in those
> states with physician supervisory requirements, but even in those states you
> can have NP operated clinics, with protocols on paper, and at least with the
> NP as the visible provider if it is not necessary to have the physician on
> site, it helps the public with the perception of what NPs do.  I don't know
> how to get it all achieved, but this is what I would like to see for all of
> us, and we just have to work in our individual corners as agents of change,
> with our particular state dilemmas, and work on solving them.  My opinion,
> Carla now I promise I will drop it, I am boring myself!
> 
> Shelby Havens <shelbyhavens at hotmail.com> wrote:
> Carla et al:
> 
> I totally agree with your views. It burns me up when the medical director of
> our facility refers to the ARNP's who work there as "my nurse
> practitioners". As if he would have a clue what I do, much less be able to
> review all the work we do.
> 
> So what can we do to change this perception? Just telling patients our names
> and titles doesn't solve the problem for me.
> 
> Regards,
> 
> Shelby Havens, ARNP
> 
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> 
> Carla R. Anderson, FNP-C
> Healing Presence Family Practice, PC
> carla_rayne at yahoo.com
> 503 819 9726
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