So, no need to fight, let each group maintain their lane.

Would be lovely, if it was that easy

Fight dey o.It's not just about duties,it's also about control.
The fight is on who controls what and how much control should there be.

Actually JOHESU is gearing up for a strike in the next few weeks.

maclatunji: I have not really followed closely the brouhaha that has been going on in Nigeria's healthcare sector until I read that President Jonathan has sacked 16,000 resident doctors. So, I did some research on 2 of the major parties in Nigeria's healthcare saga and found this, I hope you will gain more insights from this. Thank you.

MD vs RN


This is the bottom line:

MDs troubleshoot, diagnose and treat a pts medical problem (i.e., CHF).

RNs troubleshoot, diagnose and treat a pts problems regarding care (i.e., how will this person with CHF use the toilet).

When a person is sick--sick enough that they can't care for themselves--they have to have a nurse to provide that care. That is what a nurse does; that is our profession. We provide direct care, medication administration, pt education, and rehabilitation.

The modern health care paradigm requires both MD and RN. When the modern healthcare paradigm falls apart, such as in some African countries, nurses ultimately become more useful than MDs. Then when the nurses all leave or die off, it reverts back to a "wild" caveman system of health care (see the NY times article today on the exodus of nurses from Africa).

MDs cure people.
Nurses care for people.

There is no debate.

MDs have NPs and PAs, allied healthcare workers and IAs as assitants--and thank God for them.

Nurses have LPNs, IAs, CNAs, PCAs, housekeepers, laundry workers, and cooks for assistants--and thank God for them.

Some MDs think that nurses are sub-doctor; they are idiots, because nurses are not MDs at all. We occupy the other side of the health care coin. And let's face it: most nurses are just as arrogant and consider what they do to be more important than what MDs do. But the two fields are completely different professions.

Nurses should not seek to increase their status by becoming more like MDs. They should seek to provide more efficient and effective care for debilitated patients.

When I call an MD because a pts cardiac rhythm has changed. I tell him/her the VS, the EKG interpretation, what the previous stips have read, the recent lab values (esp. K+) and the symptoms the pt is experiencing. I don't tell the MD "My patients potassium is low, she needs to go on the K+ protocol." It's not my job to tell the physician that, and I'm out of bounds if I do. It is the physicians job to tell me that. Implementing the potassium protocol is my job. It is not my job to dx a cardiac condition r/t low potassium, and frankly, I would be offended if a dietician came up to me and told me: "The patient is due for her potassium IV." So why would I do the same thing to an MD?

I call MDs "sir, ma'am or Dr." But then I also call the houskeepers "Sir or Ma'am" And when my patient comes back from an x-ray and I call for a late lunch tray, I show more servile respect and undeserving gratitude to that kitchen worker on the phone than I ever show to MDs (But I should show MDs the same respect, and I'm working on that.)

http://allnurses.com/general-nursing-discussion/md-vs-rn-72232.html

This is really funny, Nigerian Nurses can't even read ECG and most of what you posted is alien to Nigeria's health sector.
It's best you find a Nigerian nurse and ask of his/her duties.

silentdon:

This is really funny, Nigerian Nurses can't even read ECG and most of what you posted is alien to Nigeria's health sector.
It's best you find a Nigerian nurse and ask of his/her duties.

The reason I posted this is not to create an argument and I have posted what is obtainable where both professions get the best training so that we can observe and probably learn how things are done there.

This thread is not an attempt to denigrate or promote one profession to the detriment of the other.

silentdon:

This is really funny, Nigerian Nurses can't even read ECG and most of what you posted is alien to Nigeria's health sector.
It's best you find a Nigerian nurse and ask of his/her duties.

You are really out of your depth to make that comment.
You will be surprised what new generation nurses are being taught here in Nigeria.

I was taught what pulseless asystole, ventricular tachycardia and tarchyarrythmia, QRT,ST PR intervals etc and all whatnot mean. Most colleagues don't care about all these because there is a minute 0.9% chance that they will use it in practice.

maclatunji:

The reason I posted this is not to create an argument and I have posted what is obtainable where both professions get the best training so that we can observe and probably learn how things are done there.

This thread is not an attempt to denigrate or promote one profession to the detriment of the other.

I don't mean to denigrate any persons or profession, I'm just saying what is obtainable here. Thanks.

the problem in health sector is that some of the professionals are not good in adapting to changes.the doctors are finding it difficult to accept that other professions are expanding,improving and evolving. they find it hard to accept that Nurses can be degree holders,master and PhD holders.they keep comparing medicine and nursing which can never be compared cos they are two different progression.One says its 6yrs course the other said its 5 years both when graduated are degree Holders. they do internship which nurses will start very soon,pharmacy and med lab are doing the same internship.pls people on appointment drs start on grade level12 other 8,and 10 and here they are asking of relativity saying yet d salary of a nurse on 12 shld not be equal to that of dr on 12 not minding that the nurse must have put up not least 9 years to 12yrs to get to that grade level 12 that a newly employed 10 is starting like wise other health professionals.they don't want others yo be consultants when the body regulating that profession has stipulated the criteria for their members to be consultants saying that they d drs suffer to be a consultant.pls if for instance nursing and midwifery council of Nigeria state that for one to be a nurse consultant he must be a masters degree holder in nursing and must have gone through with courses with west African council of nursing and is now a fellow is that not their criteria? must d nurse go through the same drs procedure to be a consultant nurse?mind you we are talking of consultant nurse not dr here .is it the issue of a director where other proffesionals outside health get to direct and now drs said that even If u have PhD that when u get to asst director you shld remain there .OK 100k hazard allowance for only drs imagine are they exposed to hazard than the nurse that stays with this patient 24/7 or the lab scientists that deals with biohazards everyday? that they are asking for only drs if others ask theirs drs will go on strike .I think the drs shld know that other professions are growing and shld accept that fact that not the nurses you have in 1980 that is around now not med lab tech now but med lab science .each profession in health shld fight to progress and be the best in their profession and forget about fighting each other cos all of them must work together for patient to get well.