Skip to content
  • About
  • Contact
  • Contribute
  • Book
  • Careers
  • Podcast
  • Recommended
  • Speaking
  • All
  • Physician
  • Practice
  • Policy
  • Finance
  • Conditions
  • .edu
  • Patient
  • Meds
  • Tech
  • Social
  • Video
    • All
    • Physician
    • Practice
    • Policy
    • Finance
    • Conditions
    • .edu
    • Patient
    • Meds
    • Tech
    • Social
    • Video
    • About
    • Contact
    • Contribute
    • Book
    • Careers
    • Podcast
    • Recommended
    • Speaking

ASA: Doctors and nurses are simply not one and the same

Kenneth Elmassian, DO
Physician
May 16, 2013
Share
Tweet
Share

american society of anesthesiologistsA guest column by the American Society of Anesthesiologists, exclusive to KevinMD.com.

Recently, discussion about health care has reached a fever pitch, between changes in policy, adjustments to scope of practice and a multitude of other medical issues. As health care providers, it is our duty to provide the highest level of medical care to all patients to safeguard their health. We are the catalysts for change and we need to recognize practices and beliefs that are potentially harmful to those we’ve vowed to protect.

Some argue nurses and physicians are equally qualified and should be allowed to practice within the same capacity. That is unequivocally false. Rather than draw battle lines between the two disciplines, we should harness the differences and find a way to work cooperatively in the best interest of patients. The physician-led care team approach to medicine is the most logical and safe choice.

Arguments about the appropriateness and benefits of the physician-led care model occur daily in the specialty of anesthesiology. Nurse anesthetists would like to practice anesthesia care without the guidance and supervision of a physician anesthesiologist, citing comparable education and training to that of medical or osteopathic doctors.

This is a dangerous misconception. They simply are not the same.

There is no substitute for the rigorous and thorough education of medical school. After four years of undergraduate training, physician anesthesiologists complete four years of medical school and four years of post-doctoral internship and residency. Many nurses only have two to three years of post-graduate training. Physician anesthesiologists have 10,000 to 14,000 hours of clinical training, compared to the 1,000 to 2,500 hours completed by nurse anesthetists.

The education and training of nurse anesthetists and physician anesthesiologists are not comparable.. Physician anesthesiologists evaluate and supervise the medical care of patients before, during and after surgery. While nurses provide routine support, physicians’ advanced training can make the difference between life and death when critical medical decisions need to be made and seconds count to ensure optimal patient outcomes.

The fact remains: There are substantive differences between physician and non-physician members of an Anesthesia Care Team. These differences have a direct impact on the safety of the patient.

I’ve heard countless stories from my physician anesthesiologist colleagues illustrating the moments where advanced training made a critical difference. Many diagnose underlying and seemingly unrelated health conditions during pre-surgical screenings that, left undetected, would have proved fatal to the patient during their scheduled procedure. Likewise, routine procedures can become decidedly complex, and emergency intervention beyond the scope of non-physician experience and training is imperative to save the life of the patient.

Non-physician health care professionals play an important role on the care team. When their skills are combined with appropriate physician supervision, patients can receive the safest, highest-quality care available. After all, we can’t forget why we’ve dedicated our lives to health care: to keep our patients as safe as possible. Providing care below the gold standard is irresponsible and, frankly, unacceptable.

Kenneth Elmassian is on the American Society of Anesthesiologists’ Committee on Communications and is a member of the ASA board of directors. 

Prev

Why Groupon and other social coupons are unethical in healthcare

May 16, 2013 Kevin 6
…
Next

There is little nutritional advantage to organic food

May 17, 2013 Kevin 59
…

Tagged as: Surgery

Post navigation

< Previous Post
Why Groupon and other social coupons are unethical in healthcare
Next Post >
There is little nutritional advantage to organic food

ADVERTISEMENT

More by Kenneth Elmassian, DO

  • Championing your specialty through awareness weeks

    Kenneth Elmassian, DO
  • a desk with keyboard and ipad with the kevinmd logo

    Demystifying anesthesia to put patients at ease

    Kenneth Elmassian, DO

More in Physician

  • How to handle chronically late patients in your medical practice

    Neil Baum, MD
  • How early meetings and after-hours events penalize physician-mothers

    Samira Jeimy, MD, PhD and Menaka Pai, MD
  • Why medicine must evolve to support modern physicians

    Ryan Nadelson, MD
  • Why listening to parents’ intuition can save lives in pediatric care

    Tokunbo Akande, MD, MPH
  • Finding balance and meaning in medical practice: a holistic approach to professional fulfillment

    Dr. Saad S. Alshohaib
  • How regulatory overreach is destroying innovation in U.S. health care

    Kayvan Haddadan, MD
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • Forced voicemail and diagnosis codes are endangering patient access to medications

      Arthur Lazarus, MD, MBA | Meds
    • How President Biden’s cognitive health shapes political and legal trust

      Muhamad Aly Rifai, MD | Conditions
    • The One Big Beautiful Bill and the fragile heart of rural health care

      Holland Haynie, MD | Policy
    • Why timing, not surgery, determines patient survival

      Michael Karch, MD | Conditions
    • Why health care leaders fail at execution—and how to fix it

      Dave Cummings, RN | Policy
    • How digital tools are reshaping the doctor-patient relationship

      Vineet Vishwanath | Tech
  • Past 6 Months

    • Forced voicemail and diagnosis codes are endangering patient access to medications

      Arthur Lazarus, MD, MBA | Meds
    • Why are medical students turning away from primary care? [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • How President Biden’s cognitive health shapes political and legal trust

      Muhamad Aly Rifai, MD | Conditions
    • The One Big Beautiful Bill and the fragile heart of rural health care

      Holland Haynie, MD | Policy
    • Why “do no harm” might be harming modern medicine

      Sabooh S. Mubbashar, MD | Physician
    • The hidden health risks in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act

      Trevor Lyford, MPH | Policy
  • Recent Posts

    • Why point-of-care ultrasound belongs in every emergency department triage [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Why PSA levels alone shouldn’t define your prostate cancer risk

      Martina Ambardjieva, MD, PhD | Conditions
    • How to handle chronically late patients in your medical practice

      Neil Baum, MD | Physician
    • Reframing chronic pain and dignity: What a pain clinic teaches us about MAiD and chronic suffering

      Olumuyiwa Bamgbade, MD | Conditions
    • How early meetings and after-hours events penalize physician-mothers

      Samira Jeimy, MD, PhD and Menaka Pai, MD | Physician
    • Why medicine must evolve to support modern physicians

      Ryan Nadelson, MD | Physician

Subscribe to KevinMD and never miss a story!

Get free updates delivered free to your inbox.


Find jobs at
Careers by KevinMD.com

Search thousands of physician, PA, NP, and CRNA jobs now.

Learn more

View 136 Comments >

Founded in 2004 by Kevin Pho, MD, KevinMD.com is the web’s leading platform where physicians, advanced practitioners, nurses, medical students, and patients share their insight and tell their stories.

Social

  • Like on Facebook
  • Follow on Twitter
  • Connect on Linkedin
  • Subscribe on Youtube
  • Instagram

ADVERTISEMENT

  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • Forced voicemail and diagnosis codes are endangering patient access to medications

      Arthur Lazarus, MD, MBA | Meds
    • How President Biden’s cognitive health shapes political and legal trust

      Muhamad Aly Rifai, MD | Conditions
    • The One Big Beautiful Bill and the fragile heart of rural health care

      Holland Haynie, MD | Policy
    • Why timing, not surgery, determines patient survival

      Michael Karch, MD | Conditions
    • Why health care leaders fail at execution—and how to fix it

      Dave Cummings, RN | Policy
    • How digital tools are reshaping the doctor-patient relationship

      Vineet Vishwanath | Tech
  • Past 6 Months

    • Forced voicemail and diagnosis codes are endangering patient access to medications

      Arthur Lazarus, MD, MBA | Meds
    • Why are medical students turning away from primary care? [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • How President Biden’s cognitive health shapes political and legal trust

      Muhamad Aly Rifai, MD | Conditions
    • The One Big Beautiful Bill and the fragile heart of rural health care

      Holland Haynie, MD | Policy
    • Why “do no harm” might be harming modern medicine

      Sabooh S. Mubbashar, MD | Physician
    • The hidden health risks in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act

      Trevor Lyford, MPH | Policy
  • Recent Posts

    • Why point-of-care ultrasound belongs in every emergency department triage [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Why PSA levels alone shouldn’t define your prostate cancer risk

      Martina Ambardjieva, MD, PhD | Conditions
    • How to handle chronically late patients in your medical practice

      Neil Baum, MD | Physician
    • Reframing chronic pain and dignity: What a pain clinic teaches us about MAiD and chronic suffering

      Olumuyiwa Bamgbade, MD | Conditions
    • How early meetings and after-hours events penalize physician-mothers

      Samira Jeimy, MD, PhD and Menaka Pai, MD | Physician
    • Why medicine must evolve to support modern physicians

      Ryan Nadelson, MD | Physician

MedPage Today Professional

An Everyday Health Property Medpage Today
  • Terms of Use | Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • DMCA Policy
All Content © KevinMD, LLC
Site by Outthink Group

ASA: Doctors and nurses are simply not one and the same
136 comments

Comments are moderated before they are published. Please read the comment policy.

Loading Comments...