The medical model versus the nursing model: A difference in philosophy
Posted almost 13 years ago by Stanley F Whittaker
I recently blogged about the question of what the difference is between a doctor and a nurse, now that advanced practice nurses can do so many of the same things physicians do. As both a nurse and a doctor I thought maybe I could wade into that quagmire. In that post I suggested that the real difference is one of ultimate responsibility. A reader pointed out that this is actually not true: in some states NPs and others practice independently. I also realized this statement of mine was a little insulting to nurses, somehow suggesting that they willingly abdicate responsibility for their patients. So I’ve thought about it and I have a new opinion.