re: Defeat the Nurse Practitioner scope of practice expansion - Louisiana SB 187

Medicine is a gray area science.....it is not and never will be one size fits all.

Thats why it is absurd for anyone to "practice medicine" that is not a Medical Doctor. (MD)

This just furthers my belief that patient advocacy is the last thing on a NP's mind AS A GROUP. Its all about the money. You want to be an MD than go to Med School.

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You want to be an MD than go to Med School.

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What if you simply want to set broken bones and nothing else?

How do you think they are going about enacting universal healthcare? They, like you, are encouraging shortcuts around medical school in order to account for the increased volume. It's going to have consequences.

But that is the whole mantra of the left. Instead of paying customers having excellent healthcare and those who can't afford it having average healthcare, they would rather EVERYONE have average healthcare. Except those in power of course... they can continue to have their access to the best.

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We're saying the ability to decide for yourself the quality and cost of healthcare you receive is a right

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Duuuude

Just stop for a second and think about this

You have the right to go to a NP today

In the current system what right don't you have today? Just answer that simple question

Current system:
MD visit $100
NP visit for a chronic isssue $100
NP visit for a new issue $85

Proposed system:
MD visit $100
Np visit $85

Consider it a $15 insurance policy that a MD is backing them up. How far do you think that $15 savings will go when NPs are seeing people too frequently or ordering unnecessary tests/referrals because they are unsure of themselves.

Hell if they order 1 extra MRI a month that would likely offset all healthcare savings generated

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Dentists can complete two years of medical school and a residency to become a DDS, MD that specializes in oral surgery.

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At LSUHSC-NO it's 3 years of medical school + residency.

The reason they're allowed to do this is because they took enough basic sciences in dental school to advance out of some of medical school. Some special consideration is given to OD-->MD, but it's not a standard track at this point. There's not really a good reason why not.

But in terms of NP/PA--> MD, the basic sciences are, for the most part, taught at very different levels. Theirs are not as in depth and, thus, don't qualify them to substitute it for the MD version.

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Why wouldn't they be held to the same standards doctors are under the state medical board?

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Because the bill which we are talking about specifically states that they will be practicing under a nursing license and exempt from oversight by the LSBME.

That is a possibility with a doctor and happens all the time.


Either abolish the $500,000 medical malpractice award limit or open up the scope of practice for qualified nurses to practice certain procedures unsupervised and at their own rate of pay and keep the $500,000 limit.

That's pretty much where I'm situated on this issue and I'd say my position is intractable.

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Something I found interesting is a conversation my brother recently had with an Ophthalmologist in the clinic he is rotating through as he finishes up his Optometry program. Essentially the Ophthalmologist feels that his Optometrists are better equipped to recognize and treat most eye diseases, and really only handles major surgical procedures in his clinic that Optometrists currently cannot be licensed for. Optometrists are trained from day one of school to provide that level of care, while Ophthalmologists receive general medical training and pick up everything else on the fly through resident training. Therefore their training is not as focused with the exception of surgical techniques. This doctor is of the standpoint that Optometrists already have a leg up in training, and are more than capable to complete a residency to allow them to complete surgeries.

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These are the types of wacko statements that scare me about this bill. So your brother the optometrist thinks he has better training than an Ophthalmologist?

Do you realize how far off from reality this is? Ophthalmology residency alone is as long as their entire schooling process. In addition, optometrist don't take call and see emergency patients, don't see hospital inpatients, and don't see 25% of the difficult cases/ pathology that is seen in an ophthalmologists office. You brother will be the guy that keeps trying to manage a complicated patient when he is way over his head, then refer them to an Ophthalmologist when they are a train wreck.

Are you sure he wasn't talking about fitting someone for glasses? I'll admit they are probably better at that

Ding! Ding! Ding!

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Will any Doc here admit that the root cause of the problem is that the care delivered by a lot of Docs is so poorly delivered that the general population sees no discernible difference in the care delivers.

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I love my GP and want to see him every time but my wife HATES her's and will only see the NP.