Ellen
02-05-2006, 10:20 AM
http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/doctors-vow-to-stop-nurses-taking-their-jobs/2006/02/05/1139074109944.html
Doctors vow to stop nurses taking their jobs By Ruth Pollard Health Reporter
February 6, 2006
THE Australian Medical Association has vowed to ensure that "doctor substitutes" are never accepted in the health system, as 60 nurse practitioners today join the 71 already working in NSW hospitals.
Nurse practitioners - senior nurses who have had significant additional training - carry out work doctors usually do, such as prescribing medication, ordering tests and X-rays, and referring patients to specialists.
As the Health Minister, John Hatzistergos, announced the appointment of the additional practitioners, the medical association renewed its campaign against changes to the health workforce, describing it as the "dumbing down of medicine".
Mr Hatzistergos said nurse practitioners were already working in 21 specialty areas in NSW, including emergency, mental health, diabetes care, pain management, drug and alcohol, aged care and midwifery.
"Nurse practitioner services have been brought about not only because of increased demands, but because nurses have demonstrated their competence in a variety of extended practice roles," he said.
Mike Woods, who chaired the Productivity Commission's study into the health workforce, said expanding the role of those already in the health system was one of the best ways of easing the workforce shortages.
"We have to make more efficient and effective use of our workforce as a whole, and we have got to look at who is trained to do what and broaden the scope of practice," Mr Woods said after the study's release late last month.
But the medical association has maintained that "doctor substitutes" are not acceptable. "We owe it to our patients to make sure the quality of health care in this country is not lowered," said its president, Mukesh Haikerwal, in the journal Australian Medicine.
Mr Haikerwal said he would work to ensure that "doctor substitute proposals … do not see the light of day".
Jane Overland is a nurse practitioner at the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, in Camperdown. She has specialised in diabetes since 1990, has a masters degree in public health, a PhD in diabetes management, and is on the board of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.
Most of Ms Overland's patients have type 1 diabetes, which is managed with insulin and a strong focus on diet and exercise.
"I see the people who are having problems with their blood-glucose control … I am able to look at their diet, lifestyle and exercise, and base their treatment regime on that," she said.
Ms Overland has been treating Lisa Collaguazo for 14 years, and has seen her through two pregnancies.
"When people are first diagnosed, I work out what medication they should take, start them on it and monitor them," she said. "Nurse practitioners aren't replicating services, but are complementing services."
Ms Overland will often conduct joint consultations with other specialists involved in diabetes care, such as renal (kidney) physicians or foot specialists.
In response to criticisms by the medical association, she said: "We are not trying to be medicos. The best way to gain their [doctors'] approval is to work beside them and for them to see that we are competent practitioners."
Doctors vow to stop nurses taking their jobs By Ruth Pollard Health Reporter
February 6, 2006
THE Australian Medical Association has vowed to ensure that "doctor substitutes" are never accepted in the health system, as 60 nurse practitioners today join the 71 already working in NSW hospitals.
Nurse practitioners - senior nurses who have had significant additional training - carry out work doctors usually do, such as prescribing medication, ordering tests and X-rays, and referring patients to specialists.
As the Health Minister, John Hatzistergos, announced the appointment of the additional practitioners, the medical association renewed its campaign against changes to the health workforce, describing it as the "dumbing down of medicine".
Mr Hatzistergos said nurse practitioners were already working in 21 specialty areas in NSW, including emergency, mental health, diabetes care, pain management, drug and alcohol, aged care and midwifery.
"Nurse practitioner services have been brought about not only because of increased demands, but because nurses have demonstrated their competence in a variety of extended practice roles," he said.
Mike Woods, who chaired the Productivity Commission's study into the health workforce, said expanding the role of those already in the health system was one of the best ways of easing the workforce shortages.
"We have to make more efficient and effective use of our workforce as a whole, and we have got to look at who is trained to do what and broaden the scope of practice," Mr Woods said after the study's release late last month.
But the medical association has maintained that "doctor substitutes" are not acceptable. "We owe it to our patients to make sure the quality of health care in this country is not lowered," said its president, Mukesh Haikerwal, in the journal Australian Medicine.
Mr Haikerwal said he would work to ensure that "doctor substitute proposals … do not see the light of day".
Jane Overland is a nurse practitioner at the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, in Camperdown. She has specialised in diabetes since 1990, has a masters degree in public health, a PhD in diabetes management, and is on the board of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.
Most of Ms Overland's patients have type 1 diabetes, which is managed with insulin and a strong focus on diet and exercise.
"I see the people who are having problems with their blood-glucose control … I am able to look at their diet, lifestyle and exercise, and base their treatment regime on that," she said.
Ms Overland has been treating Lisa Collaguazo for 14 years, and has seen her through two pregnancies.
"When people are first diagnosed, I work out what medication they should take, start them on it and monitor them," she said. "Nurse practitioners aren't replicating services, but are complementing services."
Ms Overland will often conduct joint consultations with other specialists involved in diabetes care, such as renal (kidney) physicians or foot specialists.
In response to criticisms by the medical association, she said: "We are not trying to be medicos. The best way to gain their [doctors'] approval is to work beside them and for them to see that we are competent practitioners."