Where are we going wrong?

[PACali]

On 3/17/2018 at 9:46 PM, jmj11 said:

NPs are ahead ( and someone else may have stated this) is because of the long history of their base (nursing) profession and the fact that there are 3.5 million practicing nurses today. The NP profession came along at a time when nursing, in general, were coming out with a "I'm not your hand-maiden any longer."  This empowered NPs from the beginning, while the PA profession didn't share that history or base, and therefore were not that responsive to their own rank - n - file.

2

I think the PA profession has long been relying on physician as their base and it has been disappointing.  I think now is the time to rely on our own profession. 

[Hope2PA]

On 3/21/2018 at 9:37 AM, LT_Oneal_PAC said:

No, I don’t think they will. I’m a prior nurse anesthesia student and have marched on the hill. Without getting into the details, CRNA vs AA is a completely different thing. Trust me. NPs don’t have any argument that couldn’t be turned on themselves and we already exist in every state, as opposed to AAs who mainly are just opposed when they are trying to create licensure in a new state.

Rn29414

Nov 26, 2017

 

I must reiterate, an NP is not a physician helper but is an independent practitioner. A PA is a physician assistant.

The above quote was in "The Health Care Blog" by an NP (Rn29414) Nov 2017.Not the first of similar posts by NP's. While many/most NP/APRN respect knowledge of PA and would not speak negatively of PA, I still feel the nursing leadership will protect their own, move up the ladder and will not look back on the PA's left at the bottom. I have personally been in a clinic with a friend who had NP provider.  I was curious as there were predominately NP and one PA.  I ask, out of curiosity difference in providers without indicating my PA knowledge. Comment was, there is no comparison, NP's are much more experienced and competent as providers, we have only have one PA to assist our physician. Needless to say, I will not accompany my friend again. This attitude is not shared by all NP's, I know many very competent, knowledgeable NP's, with quality education.  Unfortunately, also many new direct entry NP with no RN experience who some how feel they are superior because of independent practice and because again, they are Practitioners, PA's are assistants. Can't blame nursing, not their fault PA has far to long held on to assistant title and clinging to idea that there is no need to change status quo.

 

. Title change is vital for the profession 

[LT_Oneal_PAC]

1 hour ago, Hope2PA said:

Rn29414

Nov 26, 2017

 

I must reiterate, an NP is not a physician helper but is an independent practitioner. A PA is a physician assistant.

The above quote was in "The Health Care Blog" by an NP (Rn29414) Nov 2017.Not the first of similar posts by NP's. While many/most NP/APRN respect knowledge of PA and would not speak negatively of PA, I still feel the nursing leadership will protect their own, move up the ladder and will not look back on the PA's left at the bottom. I have personally been in a clinic with a friend who had NP provider.  I was curious as there were predominately NP and one PA.  I ask, out of curiosity difference in providers without indicating my PA knowledge. Comment was, there is no comparison, NP's are much more experienced and competent as providers, we have only have one PA to assist our physician. Needless to say, I will not accompany my friend again. This attitude is not shared by all NP's, I know many very competent, knowledgeable NP's, with quality education.  Unfortunately, also many new direct entry NP with no RN experience who some how feel they are superior because of independent practice and because again, they are Practitioners, PA's are assistants. Can't blame nursing, not their fault PA has far to long held on to assistant title and clinging to idea that there is no need to change status quo.

 

. Title change is vital for the profession 

While I agree title change is necessary and inevitable, the above account provides anecdote of one RN and yourself, who is neither a PA or in nursing (that is not meant as a slight but does influence the expertise one can assume). I've work as a RN for 4 years, attended an NP program, a CRNA program, worked in Family Medicine for 3 years side by side with NPs and physicians, and now I'm an APP EM residency with both PAs and NPs in the program. I can say that they do not care about us. It's like with MDs and DOs. Once DOs became so proliferate and training so equivalent, there is just no pointing in wasting legislative money and effort on stopping it. They are smart enough to know that it is much more efficient to pass legislation that elevates them than lobby against us. Plus, they just don't see us as the enemy. Individually one may say they are better than us, but they would not come and say this out loud in a political way. They have much bigger fish to fry with getting independence and fighting medical associations to worry about us. 

This is very different from the opposition CRNAs have with AAs. First, last I checked they could only practice in 17 states. So it takes few political dollars to prevent someone from being licensed ever in a state than to limit their scope. Second, CRNAs see AAs as being created specifically to disrupt their domination of the anesthesia market, which they easily held since nurse anesthesia was a thing before anesthesiology was even a specialty for physicians and AAs were created in the 1970s. So it's quite a different dynamic.

[CorpsmanUP]

On 3/19/2018 at 6:09 AM, sas5814 said:

James Cannon was on the NCCPA board for several years and has unlimited faith in them. He was the president of PAFT when I was the president elect and things became so contentious between us over the NCCPA he resigned because we were at such odds he felt like he had to choose a side and he opted for his faith in his colleagues in the NCCPA.

I respect he made a tough call and followed his beliefs and certainly don't hold it against him but I do not want him on the AAPA board for that reason alone.

The others I haven't researched yet. Keep in mind the motion to form a new certifying body was defeated by 1 vote among the AAPA leadership.

Knowing James, he will also enthusiastically pursue a OTP and address the title issue. His CV is candidly, the best of any of the candidates running for a Director at Large position. I know some have expressed concern with his previous time on the NCCPA board and his continued support as they work through the PANRE evolution trial. To those individuals I would suggest looking at the issues as a matter of triage.

The most prevalent and profession defining issues before the AAPA right now are OTP and a title change. James will support both. The AAPA does not have the resources to support three divergent initiatives at this time. You can win a two front war, adding a third front is a recipe for disaster.; ask Napoleon and Hitler. The research being conducted by the Rand corp is going to take time, and pushes the time horizon to reevaluate the NCCPA issue out another two years. Coupled with the changing dynamics of the board composition in the past year, the votes are simply not there to start a new credentialing body right now; it is no longer a one vote difference. A term on the BOD is two years, Cannon is an excellent candidate to push OTP and a title change forward in the next two years, you can reevaluate then.

[sas5814]

Please don't get me wrong...James is a smart guy, an experienced talented PA, and one who has dedicated a lot of time and energy into being a PA leader. Having him get elected would not in any way be a loss for the profession.

I personally have a huge issue with the NCCPA and sincerely believe, without competition or constraint, will again do some of the things they have done in the past and will continue down the path of testing that doesn't help the profession and costs talented PAs their jobs.Simply put they have nearly total control over the profession and answer to nobody but themselves. That scares me. If I can choose between 3 or 4 capable candidates one of whom has a great love of and faith in the NCCPA....he won't be my choice.