The differences between doctors and nurses in today’s medical field are quite subtle at times. Nurses are taking on more responsibilities and no longer are falling into the stereotypical role of the past. In addition, many nurses are even obtaining doctorate degrees. This leaves many patients wondering what the difference is between doctors and nurses.
General Definitions of Doctors and Nurses
Doctors must complete medical school and obtain a license through the state in which they practice. They usually focus on diagnosing illnesses and conditions, but they provide various levels of care and may conduct testing and perform surgeries. They may also specialize in certain areas of medicine. Doctors generally treat patients in an office setting and many also do rounds at a hospital where they check on patients of theirs that have been admitted.
Nurses can have varying levels of education. Some may have completed only an associate degree while others may have master’s and doctorate degrees. Nurses do not have to go to medical school, but they must complete a nursing program, like that at the University of Cincinatti. They also must be licensed by the state in which they will practice. Nurses may also specialize in a specific area of medicine. Depending on the level of education and license held, nurses may offer much of the same care as doctors, include prescribing medicine and administering diagnostic tests. Many advanced practice nurses even hold office hours and see patients on their own just like a doctor, including conducting rounds at a hospital.
Differences
As mentioned, there are many duties that doctors have that nurses may also handle. In general, though, nurses are more patient focused than doctors. This isn’t to say doctors don’t care about patients, but just that doctors tend to focus more on the patient’s issue than on the patient. Nurses often provide more in-depth care, talking with patients about more than just what they came in to be seen about and providing whole body care where they ensure all the patient’s needs are cared for.
In a hospital setting, it is the nurses who are always available. They are usually assigned to patients and will be there for about half the day. Anything the patient needs is handled by the nurse assigned to him or her. Doctors will stop by maybe once or twice a day to check on the patient and handle any issues.
Doctors are often seen as the leaders of a medical team, but this isn’t always accurate. Advanced practice nurses are more often taking leadership roles. They help coordinate the team and ensure the patient receives the best care. As mentioned earlier in this article, advanced practice nurses typically take on a very similar role to doctors in regards to the tasks they handle during patient care, which means they must step into leadership positions.
While the line between doctors and nurses is rather blurry, it is still there. The education required is different, and in many cases, the job duties are different. Even when job duties are similar, nurses still have some limitations set on them and are usually working under the supervision of a doctor. The bottom line is that the main difference is the approach to patient care with nurses being more whole-body focused and doctors narrowing in on the specific conditions that need treatment.
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