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Why is Adrienne's thalomid therapy being billed to insurance? Shouldn't the pharm corporation that will ultimately profit from the marketing of the drug pay for her drug? Many drugs are developed with public dollars, then turned over to industry. Perhaps we should require industry to pay back the costs of the early studies that they are benefiting from.

-  Teresa RN,PhD

posted 3 years, 1 month ago
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torzeck, I think you are misinformed. Today, as I worked in intensive care, I ensured a 75-year-old with a broken neck got his anithypertensive and antidysrhythmic that the docs hadn't ordered.  I got him the correct brace so his broken neck would stay in position as it healed.  I saw to it that he got the correct diet, managed his pain, exercised his lungs and planned ahead for his discharge arrangements. No physician "ordered" me to do these things.  

On other days, I administer vasoactive drugs that can kill or save a life. The docs don't touch these drugs because they are not skilled in their use. They write the orders, but do not give them.

The misconception that nurses are merely lesser doctors is common. But think about this:  Do you really believe that someone could get a PhD in merely following orders? Think about it for a few minutes. I'll wait. 

posted 3 years, 10 months ago
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I am the nurse with a PhD who spoke on this morning's show about physician over-compensation. I'd like to respond here to jwmd's remarks.

Nurses are exposed to significantly more personal risk in the workplace than physicians. This is evidence-based, not my opinion. Studies have shown that abuse of nurses involves verbal abuse (usually from physicians), physical attacks (usually from patients), chemical exposure (e.g., chemotherapy), and exposure to hazardous body fluids (blood, feces and so on.)  

Nurses, contrary to jwmd's perception, work nights, holidays and weekends far more than physicians. Nurses begin their careers on night shift, when the fewest support people are available.  Nurses do not usually take call, it is true; nurses do, however, work every other weekend and every other holiday.  Nurses are coerced or even mandated by employers to work overtime when staff are short. Nurses are present 24/7 in hospitals, often assuming roles normally done by other professionals during the "off-shifts".

jwmd is correct that nurses do not possess as much medical knowledge as physicians.  Physicians do not possess my nursing knowledge, either, and I do not expect it of them.  Would jwmd say that physicians should make more than engineers with PhDs because engineers do not know medicine? It's a non-sequitur.

Physician compensation is not the main source of health care overspending, but the attitude of salary entitlement among physicians is inappropriate nonetheless. Health care should not go to those who can pay for it; bringing physician compensation in line is but one piece of the solution to decreasing health care costs and increasing accessibility.

posted 3 years, 10 months ago
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