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

[np at c-zone.net]

Interesting- requiring that RN appear in a dominant position on a name
badge (that does seem to be what the CA Bd of Registered Nursing requires
in its regulations - You can bet that there was a BSN type in that wood
pile! But you certainly ought to be able to have in very large/bold
letters below & on its own line below your name & other alphabet soup the
simple words "Nurse Practitioner"

> Dave,
>
> I couldn't have said it any better. The hospital where I work has now made
> it policy that I have to list all of my credentials after my name instead
> of
> the simple "NP" I was able to have there for some 8 years. Even though I
> introduce myself as a nurse practitioner when I enter the room, patients
> see
> my white coat but then peer at my badge, see RN with all the other junk
> after it, and in a confused voice say, "you're the nurse...?" They just
> don't understand. So the small gains we were making with the simple NP
> title
> have now been erased by the forward placement of
> RN-followed-by-all-the-initials-that-no-layman-understands-anyway.
>
> The N in NP still recognizes that I'm a nurse, but tells the public I'm
> different than an RN. I can see the difficulty with the PA title as well.
> It
> really is too bad that we didn't call ourselves something different from
> the
> get-go...though I suspect the medical establishment and insurance
> companies
> would have found another way to oppress us....
>
> Diane Dito
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: npinfo-bounces at nurse.net [mailto:npinfo-bounces at nurse.net] On Behalf
> Of David Mittman
> Sent: Tuesday, September 04, 2007 6:26 PM
> To: NPinfo
> Subject: [NPInfo] Reply to Carla and others Names and other names
>
> 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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