Nurse Practioner Are Seeing Patients Instead Of Doctors

[tmoe]

The previous post was closed.was told to start over,anyway I ask the question about NP as being my primary doctor. Is this going on at all

VA medical center or just in Augusta Ga.Carlie says its been going on but in my seven years as seeing VA doctors this is my first with a

NP.She is doing good so far even givin some pain meds. I think it maybe a good ideal stay on her good side,because they are the one

that does C&P exams mostly. I guess you see the doctor when dying only.I know a lot of MH doctors quit at Charlie-Norwood but looks

like regular doctor also

[tmoe]

Yes I agree MD's have more training than NP's and PA's. However I would point out there is a whole lotta MD's I would not want around me. In history some of the most important medical advances were not made by MD's

Pennicilin, Fleming NOT AN MD

Medical X-ray, Rotegen NOT AN MD

Aniseptic technique, Lister NOT AN MD

Hey lets throw some real interesting MD's into the discussion:

Taliaferro clark md was the brainchild for the Tuskegee experiment.

or how about Shiro Ishii MD who was so good at germ warfare and experimenting on prisoners in Japan in the 40's, that we gave him a job after WWII. As a matter of fact there are probably some people on this board that are indirectly in receipt of some of Ishii's best work.

The point I am trying to make is a lot of basic medicine can be competently handled by non-MD's. If I have chest pains shooting down my arm and can't breath, you better believe I want a Doctor, but chances are your seeing that resident first.

Best regards,

The point I am trying to make is a lot of basic medicine can be competently handled by non-MD's. yes but most of them you could do your self, but it your choice, me I want the best

[tmoe]

VA is all over the TV about how they are helping with treatment with the veterans returning from war only to get a NP to treat them

Is this what you want??? Its Happening as long as we let it. The same one thats writing bad C&P exams is now advising my doctor

on my treatment. Never Will

Edited February 14, 2013 by tmoe

[tmoe]

My point is if VA is the only source in health benefits than you have to go with the program what ever they give you you take and they don't care one way or the other

take it or leave it. We can do better if we complain about the NP being treating patients even if they get the prescription sign by a doctor but written by her is this legal.

The doctor don't see you goes on what the NP says, who is liable?? I just dont like my odds on that one. ''sorry for rant''

Edited February 14, 2013 by tmoe

[carlie]

Yes, it is legal.

Veterans can complain all we want but I believe, it would legally

take an act of congress to change it.

BTW - here's a little tidbit from my VAMC / CBOC.

http://www.baypines.va.gov/BAYPINES/documents/StPetersburgPI.pdf

CBOC Infornation.tiff

NOTE that this specific clinic clearly states:

"Your care will be given by a physician or nurse practitioner."

[71M10]

If you want the best you better be looking for MD, BC or MD Dimplomat "speciality type here" These doctors are board certified which often indicates another 1-2 years or study in the specific type of medicine that they practice. Primary care or Family medicine are specializations, so if the MD you are seeing doesn't hold those credentials they are not a high quality physician for basic care.

We have talked about NP and PA's and the Vaunted MD's. So what about DO's??

As for Liability NP's and PA's are agents of the supervising physician and even if the supervising physician never saw them they are liable. As for VA none of the VA physicians you are seeing are liable, there is no malpractice insurance, the VA is in a sense a self insured institution!

I view the NP and PA as an extended triage, if they are doing the job right they hand you off or up at the first sign it is not a basic medical condition. As for perscriptions, if they are licensed with the DEA they can wright perscriptions. An MD does not allow a person to write perscriptions the DEA license does, I know MD's that cant write perscriptions (exception not the norm).

As a general rule I do agree that it is inappropriate to have an NP completing C&P's.

If we complain about NP's to the VA because we have a fixation on the two letters MD, and only because of that, our complaints will fall on deaf ears, because our argument does not have reason. Studies actually show less medical mistakes are made in practices that employ NP's or PA's with proper supervision. Now that proper supervision is the clencher - but an MD that hasn't been properly credentialed/vetted is probably just as, if not more dangerous (and we know what a good job the VA does on cheking out docs)!

Edited February 14, 2013 by 71M10

[tmoe]

Yes, it is legal.

Veterans can complain all we want but I believe, it would legally

take an act of congress to change it.

BTW - here's a little tidbit from my VAMC / CBOC.

http://www.baypines.va.gov/BAYPINES/documents/StPetersburgPI.pdf

CBOC Infornation.tiff

NOTE that this specific clinic clearly states:

"Your care will be given by a physician or nurse practitioner."

I hope all is not like this i see why such a backlog

Edited February 14, 2013 by tmoe