Physician assistants

[yeliab_cram]

i couldn't agree more with rjm and heed. You could train any reasonably intelegent organised person off the street to run a ward and do what the F1s do for the majority of their non on-call time. That doesn't mean you should.

Without spending time doing the simple stuff, you simply can't progress. For me this epitomises the New Labour approach to the NHS. Find a cheaper solution and sod the future.

What we need is better workforce planning and appropriate use of any new breed of professionals that are sporadically created.

[Gizmo says -]

they sound like Nurse Assistants who want more responsiblity to me, macca.

so why not simply expand the nurse assitant role, or give it a physician assistant title to cross over wif?

[heed]

Just a bit of stirring.... but do you reckon if big ole' Gordon Brown fell at number 10 and bashed his head, do you reckon he would be seen by a "physicians assistant" at A+E?

the answer: not on your nelly.... there would be consultants-a-rama. they SEEM like maybe a good idea kinda - but will they work in practise? i dont think so. i know i would not like working alongside someone who had half the training i had, doing the bread and butter of my job but with the handy "bail out" clause when it all gets a bit tricky - something which i will not have the luxury of.

[Gizmo says -]

Originally Posted by heed

Just a bit of stirring.... but do you reckon if big ole' Gordon Brown fell at number 10 and bashed his head, do you reckon he would be seen by a "physicians assistant" at A+E?

the answer: not on your nelly.... there would be consultants-a-rama. they SEEM like maybe a good idea kinda - but will they work in practise? i dont think so. i know i would not like working alongside someone who had half the training i had, doing the bread and butter of my job but with the handy "bail out" clause when it all gets a bit tricky - something which i will not have the luxury of.

well isnt that you, macca?

when you qualify and wurk alongside a senior doctor? hehehhe!

[elz]

what i dont get is. say i did this 2 year course, having done my degre in psychology, wouldnt a nurse with 3 year degree have more health experience/trainning? how can u be adequatly trainned in 2 years?

[heed]

Originally Posted by elz

what i dont get is. say i did this 2 year course, having done my degre in psychology, wouldnt a nurse with 3 year degree have more health experience/trainning? how can u be adequatly trainned in 2 years?

you cant. its a crap plan to resolve a crap situation which is only going to get crapper until someone does something definitive (and sensible clinically - not just financially)

[Gizmo says -]

oh crapp

[Dr Noodle]

Sounds to me like they aren't trying to find an 'alternative' route into a medically related field, rather that they may be trying to cut down on the amount of cardiac technicians, phlebotomists and junior doctors.

With nurses graduating from university with honours level degrees and becoming more and more qualified, I think it's strange that they wouldn't consider offering extra training to them instead, rather than create a whole new role.

To be honest, I think it's all pants.

[Gizmo says -]

they all sound very pikey to me, macca.

[Muffin2]

I'd much rather have a fully qualified experinced nurse who had be trained to do what a physcian assistant does working with me than these "half" a doctors. And i'm sure the patients would agree. It seems such a waste of a talented graduate, an extra 2 years in a GEP medicine course would be a much better use of there ability. like Dr noodle said, i'm sure there are nurses out there who would love the opportunity to do something like this. so why not offer ot to them.