Both the Doctor and the Registered Nurse are typically considered equally important in the medical industry, with each providing complimentary services to patients. They have distinct duties based on their different educational backgrounds. The doctor focuses on providing opinions and diagnoses, while the nurse is responsible for executing the doctor’s proposed care plan for the patient.
The roles and responsibilities of a Registered Nurse and a Doctor differ between countries, but there may be some minor variations. This discussion will focus on the practices in the United States, (Russell, Swansburg & Richard 2006). While a Registered Nurse is generally seen as having less knowledge, they do not have a limited area of expertise like doctors do. Nurses are capable of excelling in any medical field. However, this overlapping of duties sometimes leads to conflicts between these two healthcare professionals.
The duties of Registered Nurses and Doctors have recently been the subject of contradictions and discussions. The General Medical Council of the United Kingdom, along with other regulating councils, has established a comparison of duties between Registered Nurses and Doctors. This serves as a blueprint for enhancing patient services. Both Registered Nurses and Doctors can be found in schools, private clinics, and all healthcare facilities. They both perform a wide range of responsibilities.
Both the Registered Nurse and Doctors have duties such as supervising junior nurses and interns, ensuring they perform necessary duties during their study. The Doctor and Registered Nurse assist interns with practical tests, patient diagnosis, and examination. Prioritizing patient care is important for both professions.
This is to ensure that physicians focus on the patient and provide maximum care, according to Kelly, Penz, and Norma. Patients should receive regular checkups from both physicians to ensure they have been attended to, including any emergency cases that need immediate attention (Kelly, Penz, Norma, Stewart, 2008). Both the doctor and registered nurse should respect the patient’s dignity and privacy. Since these physicians are authorized to conduct physical examinations on any part of the patient’s body, all human rights concerning dignity must be upheld.
Many Registered Nurses and Doctors in healthcare settings have faced accusations of sexual and emotional misconduct due to their submissive nature. It is crucial for patient autonomy that both the Registered Nurse and doctor work together. This entails collaborating to offer necessary medical assistance, such as conducting physical examinations and documenting health records.
It is essential for a Doctor or registered Nurse to provide a health record before administering any medical tests or treatment to a patient. This record serves as a reference for future use and allows other medical professionals to conduct comprehensive examinations. Health records play a critical role in analyzing patients’ health statistics and can be utilized by any Doctor or registered Nurse. If you have any concerns about your health, please seek advice from a Doctor or registered Nurse.
The General Medical Council of the UK states that Registered Nurses and Doctors share the responsibility of offering crucial advice on subjects like HIV/AIDS and Family planning services. It is suggested that these healthcare professionals should work together in campaigns to decrease the worldwide HIV/AIDS epidemic. Furthermore, the World Health Organization encourages both Doctors and registered Nurses to assist couples by providing guidance on family planning to prevent health problems and issues related to marriage, such as impotence and infertility.
The respect given to both Registered Nurses and Doctors is now equal. When a Doctor is unavailable, some patients feel comfortable with the medical examinations and prescriptions given by the Registered Nurse. This demonstrates that patients have confidence in the Registered Nurse and view them with the same respect and trust as a Doctor. The General Council of Medicine in the UK has statistics showing that Registered Nurses can provide high-quality medical services to patients just like a Doctor can.
The Doctor is responsible for listening to the patient’s words and concerns during medical consultations. This information is used to create the patient’s health record, which is then analyzed before treatment is provided. Registered Nurses and doctors often support patient advocacy and community programs. While not all Doctors may take part in these programs, they are still supported by the two physicians for reasons specific to their practice.
The community programs, including immunizations and awareness programs, are part of various activities. When health epidemics like Polio and measles occur, doctors offer technical health advice while registered nurses provide general information about the epidemics. Both registered nurses and doctors are responsible for updating their knowledge and professionalism. They need to revisit their colleges during their study or tenure to improve their skills and knowledge as medical practitioners.
It is recommended that doctors and nurses gain sufficient experience in their practice to prevent minor errors that could have major consequences for patients. It is the responsibility of doctors to prescribe medication to patients who have been evaluated by registered nurses during examinations. In cases of minor health issues, registered nurses can prescribe medication to patients after conducting the necessary laboratory tests to confirm the prescription.
There are a few instances where a Registered Nurse is unable to fulfill the responsibilities of a Doctor. This typically applies to Nurses who were educated under the old system. Health histories may contain sensitive data. As these records are created by either Doctors or Registered Nurses in the absence of Doctors, both medical professionals must maintain the utmost confidentiality of this information. Such conduct follows the ethical standards of medical practice.
The text underscores the significance of safeguarding privacy, asserting that sharing information should only occur when legally mandated. Disclosing personal details publicly can negatively impact a person’s marriage and standing in society. This notion is not limited to the UK and the US, as the medical profession acknowledges that Registered Nurses and Doctors should have equivalent duties due to staff shortages. Nonetheless, different nations may adopt diverse approaches to enforce this rule. Stress levels are also worth considering in this context.
Many Registered Nurses prefer to transition to different nursing departments, such as community programs, after working in a high-stress hospital setting for a prolonged period. This allows them to have more flexibility in their work. Similarly, both Doctors and Registered Nurses do not like serving a large number of patients for an extended duration and value having their own relaxation time. As the central figures in medical care, all essential responsibilities revolve around the duties of Doctors and Registered Nurses. Therefore, before receiving treatment, a patient must be attended to by either a Registered Nurse or a Doctor.
In order to ensure speedy recovery of patients, it is crucial to handle emergency cases with efficient equipment. However, the absence of such equipment for handling risky situations like emergencies presents an additional challenge. Fagin and Garelick highlight that doctors experience significant levels of stress when they are unsure about conducting medical diagnostics, tests, and administering antibiotics. Furthermore, registered nurses often feel stressed due to demands from their supervisors and doctors. This can lead to conflicts of interest that arise from the delegation of tasks.
When duties are delegated from other medical officers to Doctors and registered Nurses, it can be challenging for them to adjust to the new responsibilities (Fagin and Garelick 2004). Another source of stress occurs when a patient does not show signs of recovery despite long-term treatment by a doctor and registered nurse. Working in a motivating environment is preferable for individuals, as they thrive in situations where improvement is visible. It is unfortunate for patients to pass away under the care of registered Nurses and doctors.
The lack of staff among registered Nurses and Doctors is causing excessive workloads, leading to overworking. This heavy workload often compels Doctors and registered nurses to work long hours without breaks for meals or leisure. This level of fatigue can lead to neglecting ethical responsibilities, increasing stress levels. Moreover, there have been instances where patients disregard the instructions given by Doctors or Nurses, further impacting their treatment outcomes. For instance, certain medications like antibiotics should not be taken at specific times or with certain meals. Each employee has their own preferred schedule and available resources for work. Unfortunately, Doctors and Registered Nurses rarely get time off to spend with their families or participate in extracurricular activities. Both the registered nurse and doctor experience immense stress when making life-altering decisions. Their professional duties are governed by strict regulations that must be adhered to as failure to do so can result in severe consequences imposed by their employers.
The risk to health posed by the practice of medicine is high for both Doctors and Registered Nurses, and this adds even more stress. Many Nurses and Doctors do not have life insurance policies, and directly dealing with sick conditions puts their lives in danger. There is a challenge for healthcare administrators due to the transmission of communicable diseases and other contact-based illnesses. Additionally, most nurses and doctors do not opt for integrating or dominance approaches when resolving conflicts with their colleagues. This approach is less stressful compared to the avoidance approach, which is preferred by many.
The obliging situation comes along with many assumptions which are not realistically true. In a nut shell, the stress level of Registered Nurses and doctors is very high, and should be checked in order to ensure good quality services. It is a hard task for a registered Nurse or a Doctor to explain a difficult phenomenon to a patient. For instance, there are situations where a “blue baby” is born; such babies tend to have problems with their respiratory system and rarely do they survive. It becomes so hard for a doctor to explain such a situation to a parent.
Many patients expect to be cured quickly when they seek medical treatment. However, medical practice is based on the principle of probability. Doctors administer relevant treatments with the hope that the patient will recover. If this doesn’t happen, it can be very stressful for doctors and registered nurses. In some cases, the patients’ beneficiaries have even tried to sue the doctor because their illness did not heal despite the expenses involved.
Being a Medical doctor is extremely challenging, to the point where many people praise and applaud your work. However, this often leads to doctors forming relationships with other employees within the hospital. Unfortunately, this can cause stress and interfere with the tasks of both doctors and registered nurses. To minimize this stress and interference, it is strongly advised that doctors and registered nurses refrain from engaging in personal relationships with any hospital employees. Additionally, one way to reduce these levels of stress is to ensure that all individuals practicing medicine are adequately insured against any potential health risks.
The licensing board, in conjunction with the relevant authority, should develop defensive medicine to protect against communicable and other diseases. Doctors should create strategies for handling difficult and disruptive patients, and if necessary, they should be provided with adequate security. The licensing board should promote favorable working conditions for doctors and Registered Nurses, including offering leaves, competitive salaries, and most importantly, providing transportation facilities to all doctors and Registered Nurses.
References
Allied Physician Inc. “Physician’s salary and surveys”. Angeles Times and Rand McNally, 2006. Retrieved on 4th August, 2010 from: http://www.allied physicians.com/salary_surveys/physician-salaries.htm
Kelly L. Penz MN, RN1. Norma J. Stewart Ph.D., RN2. “Differences in autonomy and nurse-physician interaction among rural and small urban acute care registered Nurses in Canada”. Online journal of rural nursing and health care, volume 8, No. 1 Spring 2008. Retrieved on 4th August, 2010 from: http://www.rno.org/journal/index.php/online-journal/article/viewFile/157/191
Fagin L., and Garelick A. The Doctor-Nurse relationship. Advances in Psychiatric Treatment, 2004. Retrieved on 4th August, 2010 from: http://apt.rcpsych.org/cgi/content/full/10/4/277
Roussel L., Russell C. Swansburg, Richard J. (2006). Management and leadership for nurse Edition4. Jones & Bartlett Learning, New York American Psychological Association. (2008). Psychological abstracts, Volume 44. American Psychological Association, USA
Krogstad U., Dag Hofoss and Per Hjortdahl. “Doctor and nurse perception of inter-professional co-operation in hospitals”. International Journal for Quality and Health care, 2004. Retrieved on 4th August, 2010 from: http://economix.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/07/15/how-much-do-doctors-in-other-cou
