[NPInfo] My Thoughts..(Reply to Meg)

[Shelby Havens]

Dear Meg:

I agree that we should focus on our own professional development as NP's and 
PA's, but I don't agree that we should stop focusing on what MD's do (in 
relation to us). They are at the top of the food chain, and they control 
what we do to a large extent, like it or not. We have to work within the 
system that is currently in existence. That means we cannot leave physicians 
out of the picture.

I didn't understand that concept when I was younger. When I was young and 
naive, I remember telling my medical director that I didn't want to work 
WITH a psychiatrist, I wanted to REPLACE a psychiatrist. He just laughed. 
Now, almost 20 years later, I realize how stupid I sounded, even though I am 
the director of mental health at a county jail and am the full-time primary 
prescriber for the psychiatry department in addition to having supervisory 
duties. We have actually discussed not having a psychiatrist, because they 
cost $120 per hour and they don't do anything that I can't do. But we have 
one working two afternoons a week, and it is nice to have someone who can 
back up my decisions at times.

Can I function without an MD and do my job perfectly fine independently? Of 
course I can. The jail paid a LOT more for psychiatrist coverage before I 
was hired, and essentially I did replace one (there were two psychiatrists 
working there when I started). But it is good to have an MD show up a couple 
of times a week to act as a consultant on difficult cases. I have no 
complaints with this arrangement, and it doesn't interfere with my autonomy.

Best Regards,

Shelby Havens, ARNP






>From: mmhelgert46 at comcast.net
>Reply-To: NP Info <npinfo at nurse.net>
>To: npinfo at nurse.net (NP LISTSERV)
>Subject: [NPInfo] My Thoughts........
>Date: Mon, 03 Sep 2007 18:05:27 +0000
>
>I've been watching the listserv and feel compelled to jump in .....I 
>feel...in order to get above this fray...we need to stop focusing on 
>physicians,what they think, do and write and say......we have our own 
>voices...we need to meet with legislators, reporters, write articles and 
>get our voices out there...anyone can have an opinion including the AMA 
>etc. and mostly that's all it is..opinion. We have data to support NPs and 
>PAs, we have a track record...we have 30+ years in the business...plenty of 
>time to focus on where we need to be going...and it isn't down this road of 
>rehashing the AMA and Retail Health Clinic AMA opinions....we can set our 
>own record straight here.
>
>Meg FNP
>Portland Oregon
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