Why
do Nurses have to put up a fight for the title that they earned?
Merriam-Webster defines
a Doctor as a person who has earned one of the highest academic degrees conferred
by a university. Not in any way, shape,
or form does this definition discriminate the profession of which it is earned
in. Physicians are worried that losing
control over the title “doctor,” a word that has defined their profession for
centuries, will be followed by the loss of control over the profession itself. Patients
could become confused about the roles of various health professionals who all
call themselves doctors.
Six to eight
years of collegiate education generally earn pharmacists, physical therapists
and nurses the right to call themselves “doctors,” compared with nearly twice
that many years of training for most physicians. For decades, a bachelor’s
degree was all that was required to become a pharmacist. That changed in 2004
when a doctorate replaced the bachelor’s degree as the minimum needed to
practice. Physical therapists once needed only bachelor’s degrees, too, but the
profession will require doctorates of all students by 2015 — the same year that
nursing leaders intend to require doctorates of all those becoming nurse
practitioners.
Banning
the Title ?
A bill proposed in the
New York State Senate bars nurses from advertising themselves as doctors, no
matter their degree. A law proposed stated that it would bar people from
misrepresenting their education or license to practice. Laws in the states of Arizona, Delaware and
other states forbid nurses, pharmacists and others to use the title “doctor”
unless they immediately identify their profession.
What
do you think?
I would really like to hear
your thoughts on this topic. It is difficult for me to fathom that, even to this day, nurses are still struggling to prove themselves as a profession. I think
doctorate prepared nurses have earned the title, Doctor. However, I think that it is very important for
them to identify themselves as nurses to avoid confusion amongst their patients. I think a lot of the problem is about
power. I hope that someday nurses will
be treated as an equal member of the team, and be valued for their
professionalism and knowledge.
References
Harris, G. (2011). When the nurse wants to be called 'Doctor'. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/02/health/policy/02docs.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0
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