The nurses who take the vitals (not the nurse practioners) always seem to understand. They look at my pulse and see that it’s highly elevated and understand. The nurse practioners never look at anything other than the blood pressure that was written down, tell me I’m lying and that there must be something wrong with me. They want to me to come back so they can check again, all the time making my blood pressure go up out of pure frustration that they are telling me I’m lying. My mom’s a nurse, my grandfather and uncle are doctors. If my blood pressure was regularly that high, I’d be the first to submit myself to their skills, but it isn’t. Since when is it good medical practice to think your patient is lying to you about everything. Maybe if they had had a mental health rotation, they could recognise a freaking panic attack, or maybe they just think I’m hyperventilating for the fun of it.
I go to the nurse practitioner at my doctor’s office because I can get an appointment with one of them for a few hours from now, or tomorrow, while my doctor can take up to two weeks to see.
When I am at the office to visit my doctor, it can take two hours past the appointment time to actually SEE him. When i’m there for an appointment with whatever NP I’ve been assigned to, I’m in within 10 mins of scheduled time.
I only go to the doctor’s office for ear infections anymore. I just need someone with an ear scope to be able to tell me “yes it’s infected” and where it’s infected, and gimme some antibiotics. Their choice, even. I could probably do this at home if I had an ear scope and was able to prescribe antibiotics - but I can’t so the NP will do.
One time I was waiting for my assigned NP to come back to the exam room and I heard someone came by and pick up the chart from the door. The NP came back and I heard her ask the person what he was doing. He said “This is Jessica - she’s my patient,” and she said “no she’s seeing me today.” That made me feel kinda special - my doctor actually knows who I am!
First, most of a doctor’s training is spent in their specialty. Nurse practitioners are trained generally also. The difference is that your OB had a four year residency just learning Ob/Gyn.
Second, the argument can be made that maybe the patient’s pelvic pain is from referred back pain from disc disease. Perhaps the patient had previous spinal fusion surgery or perhaps such surgery could cure the problem. Wouldn’t you want your doctor to be at least familiar with it?
That said, I have nothing against midlevel providers. One of the best primary care providers around is a nurse practitioner and I would see her any day over some of the local doctors. It all comes down to the individual practitioner.
