Reply
Respected Contributor
Posts: 3,970
Registered: ‎03-16-2010

@SXMGirl, good luck in your quest to research considering a NP for your healthcare services.  In the end, you must do whatever you feel comfortable with.  I am certainly biased as a nurse with more than 40 years of experience, but I also prefer NPs.  In fact, just a couple of weeks ago I had to take my husband to the ER and he was initally seen by an NP that is part of the ER doc team there.  She was excellent.

 

Any doc worth their salt will credit nurses with teaching them during their years in med school.  Simply because it is true.  It is the nurses that teach residents and interns during their rotations about multiple aspects of patient care and all kinds of procedures.  We have a doc here that commonly references his first night on call as a resident when he had to intubate a patient in ICU.  He had never performed an intubation & didn't really know what to do.  It was the nurses that talked him through the procedure & told him what orders to write to monitor the patient after intubation, such as arterial blood cases, settings for the ventilator, etc.    

 

I also think many in the public don't really know what goes on behind the scenes in the hospital.  It is the nurse that usually picks up a problem with a patient and notifies the doc because they know what needs to be done. Many times they also catch mistakes made by the doc & work to get things straightened out for the patient.  

 

All that said, NPs and docs are human & no one is perfect.  NPs are employed in areas of healthcare in which they are more than qualified through education & experience to manage patients. They also practice from a holistic perspective which is different from the medical model.  

 

Good luck making your decision!  

 

 


* Freedom has a taste the protected will never know *
Honored Contributor
Posts: 17,491
Registered: ‎03-10-2010

I see specialists for everything, but I also go to a Family Practice that has two Family NPs and use them for my general physical (not the well woman physical).  If she doesn't know something, she will say so and go out and ask one of the doctors.

 

I had a Gyn NP who figured out a problem I had after 3 visits with doctors.

 

CVS has NPs who staff their clinics.  Talk about thorough.  I think the philosophy of these clinics is that this is probably the only medical professional people have seen in a very long time, so they tend to give you a thorough overall physical while you are there in addition to what you came in for.

 

I've been to the CVS clinic 4 times, seeing 3 different NPs.  One time the NP called the doctor on duty to run something by him while I was in the room with her.  

 

All that I have worked with are excellent and I have no problem seeing them.

 

I have no hesitation with NPs or PAs.

===================================
QVC Shopper - 1993

# IAMTEAMWEN
Honored Contributor
Posts: 17,739
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

WE have seen a special sort of nurse, that works with our Drs a couple of times. One was male, and the other a lady, they were both great

 

My state doesn't allow people to strike out on their own, if they aren't Drs, but I would not be afraid to  use one, if I needed to. I am sure they are trained to spot problems ,and report them, and send yo to an appropriate health care person ,if it is out of their capability to treat

Respected Contributor
Posts: 3,588
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Under my old HMO, I always saw my primary physician’s NP.  She was as thorough as any doctor. Really excellent. If she felt there was a serious problem, she would refer me to the doctor. I only needed to see him a few times.

 

It was actually reassuring that I could tell whether or not something might be serious. 

 

 

Honored Contributor
Posts: 9,725
Registered: ‎10-01-2013

@loveschocolate wrote:

@151949, you need to fact check before you post erroneous information. 


She does it over and over again, I wish more people would see her for what she really is.

Honored Contributor
Posts: 12,317
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Yes, when my doctor retired I was unable to get another doctor in my area!! Made no sense to me but did find a NP, I have been with her several years.

I have only seen her a few times, and I am very healthy so no complaints from me.  The person that recommended her has been seeing her for many years and is on a lot of meds and has nothing but good things to say about the care she receives.

Super Contributor
Posts: 457
Registered: ‎03-12-2010

Re: Nurse Practitioner?

[ Edited ]

Yes I have used a Nurse Practitioner for my GYN visits.   Unfortunately she retired 2 years ago.  I miss her.   What I liked about her was she listened to you and spent time wiith you.   She cared about her patients.  I felt that I received better care from her.

Honored Contributor
Posts: 19,347
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

The health care clinic where I worked and at my DH's place of employment are staffed with NP's. In that type of situation, they spend more time with the patients than is typical in a doctor's office. We would not rule one out.

Valued Contributor
Posts: 528
Registered: ‎04-21-2018

My younger daughter sees a NP.  She's wonderful.

 

She started seeing her when she was 17.  She said she would continue to see her for as long as she could.  She didn't want to go to a pediatrician anymore, so this worked out better for everyone.

Respected Contributor
Posts: 2,187
Registered: ‎03-13-2010

Re: Nurse Practitioner?

[ Edited ]

My two cents FWIW - my primary care physician is an NP -  last home was very rural and a lot of rural areas' practices are staffed with NPs or PAs bc not enough MDs want to remain in those areas.  I first saw an MD in the practice and when he was retiring I was shifted to one of the NPs until the MD's replacement came aboard.  One appt with her and I was hooked.  As others have said NPs and PAs tend to listen more and spend more time with patients.  I moved about 35 miles to the burbs of DC and chose to keep the NP as my primary care physician.  Will drive the 35 miles to see her until/unless she leaves and then I'll look for one here in town.

 

The only doctor I absolutely require be an actual MD is my oncologist, otherwise that doesn't bother me.