I joined the American college of Clinicians,,,,

[MrBob]

......and challenge ALL of you to do the same. this is important to all of us. Let's support this organization.

[tool man]

http://www.amcollege.org/

[JHM]

Good for you Mr. Bob - I just joined too. I think anything we can do to bridge the silly gap between NP's and PA's is of great benefit. I trained at the Stanford program where PA's and NP's study EXACTLY the same curriculum, take the same tests and do the same clinicals. Now out in the real world I find some jobs are only for NP's and some only for PA's?? Doesn't make any sense to me.

I join Mr. Bob's challenge - join the American College of Clinicians today!

JHM

[tool man]

I don't really care that much about NP's. They don't really need my help. I joined because I support anything that hooks the PA name onto the coat tails of NP lobbyists in Washington(obviously those boys/girls are kicking some butt).
I don't know what the "PA lobbyists" are doing.....do we even have lobbyists??? I picture some 90 year old man with a little bow tie who's sitting in a chair, asleep in some senator's hallway.

[MrBob]

Ahhhhhh, Tool....as midlevels, we all need each other's help here. Nationally one doesn't see the broad picture but it is in each individual state where the
(sp?)disparity occurs............one of the only times I disagree with you....and later you will agree with me, watch.......

BTW how is your search for a school going?

[tool man]

Oh I'm not saying I have anything against NP's. I've never had a single problem with one, and personally have liked all the ones I've met so far. Maybe I just don't see it as the Hatfield's and McCoys. Yes I am clueless, but I don't see the need to go out and hug and NP today.

I do see it as an alternate opportunity for "mid-levels" to band together to capitalize on the "strength in numbers" theory. There's only 45,000 PA's and 2 million nurses. Maybe the ACC will have better luck at pushing through some of the PA lists of grievances which are so often talked about by Matt, Bandit, EMED, and Teasip (which the AAPA seems impotent to do).

Is the ACC just about "mending broken fences" between PA's and NP's and nothing else? I understand it to be about PA's and NP's getting what we want from the world.

Sincerely,
Your humble FNG

[MrBob]

I thinkl the ACC isn't about mending fences but about two groups who basically do the same thing getting away from the National organizations who remain seperate and selfish to each ones problems and starting an organization that supports both.

Make sense?

[tool man]

I'm for that

[Moe 103]

I see the advantage that the ACC offers to the PAs but what do the NPs gain?

Here in New Jersey I'm hoping the ACC will help with push the prescription legislation through the state government. Right now PAs can only write scripts for class 5 while NPs can write up to class 2.

[DebSumm]

I'm joining, and as the editor of our PA newsletter I've written an article about the ACC encouraging everyone to join. Their goals are admirable and I think they have a good chance of accomplishing them.

[themadmedic]

Many (read most) national/govt. organizations (read CMS) do not see PA or NP...they see midlevel provider----PA, NP or CNS...

By working together, we can work to the benefit of both professions...


I'm with Bob on this one...

[nodakpa]

I'm fatigued with joining organizations. There are easily a dozen I could join out there. As far as "healing the gap" between PA's and NP's, give me a break. Everybody just do your job and go home to your family. The way I see it, midlevels are either a whim (a few changes in the law and we'll be out of a job) or they are here to stay. Given that, the market and insurance situation will decide what happens to us. You can buy breakfast for all the senators you want and you won't change that. I don't see what me sending off yet another $200 check does to change that. If I have a good job as a PA it's because I'm profitable for my employer. If I'm not, Senator Snort isn't going to help me.

And as far as NP's go - they're horribly trained and I've only seen one in my life that I would want taking care of me. As with most of nursing (and I was one for 10 years), it's all pie in the sky and current events and "issues" and "research" and making educational posters that you stand next to at some health fair. And, oh yeah, your last semester you get to follow somebody in a clinic for a couple of months. Poof! You're a midlevel! There's my attempt to heal the gap. And they did it to themselves. My employer won't touch them. But they staff all the little Quacker Box retail clinics that cover the earth now, so that's their place I guess.

[andersenpa]

And as far as NP's go - they're horribly trained and I've only seen one in my life that I would want taking care of me. As with most of nursing (and I was one for 10 years), it's all pie in the sky and current events and "issues" and "research" and making educational posters that you stand next to at some health fair. And, oh yeah, your last semester you get to follow somebody in a clinic for a couple of months. Poof! You're a midlevel! There's my attempt to heal the gap. And they did it to themselves. My employer won't touch them. But they staff all the little Quacker Box retail clinics that cover the earth now, so that's their place I guess.

You're painting NPs with a pretty broad stroke.

The NP educational process has a different focus, but the programs are not creating incompetent clinicians. They just fill a different niche than PAs.

I agree that economics will be the driver here....but don't discount the effect of the right handshake here and there.

While your job or mine might not be as susceptible to the impact of NPs, our PA bretheren in the "crossover" fields (PC) still need the case made for their practice future....

[EMEDPA]

I know a FEW np's that I trust and would let treat me or my family.
I think it is fair to say that we have a better educational preparation than they do. that being said there are still some out there who do a fine job. I work with a few who were prior icu and er nurses and they are sharp. one is a crna, fnp now. big bucks.
one runs a county HIV/hep c/std clinic. very strong clinician in the area of infectious dz.
another worked primary care for yrs and does derm now.

[docmartin]

one is a crna, fnp now. big bucks.

thats the stupidest thing I ever heard of. Thats like being a doctor and also working as a garbageman simultaneously. CRNAs can easily make 200k, FNPs are lucky to get more than 70k