What the heck is the difference?

[fireheart]

So I've binge watching WAY WAY too much ER lately (personally I prefer it over House, Scrubs etc.). And on the show, in addition to the usual doctors, nurses and specialists, there are also two other characters: a physicians assistant, and later on, a nurses aide.

My question is: what is the difference between a physician's assistant and a nurse (if any) and what does a nurses aide actually DO?

I only ask because both concepts are fairly foreign down here. (Using ER as the same example, if you watch one of the episodes where River Song Elizabeth Corday starts, she mentions about getting her Fellowship of the Royal College of Physicians(?) and tries to compare it to the US system, Australia uses a slightly similar system)

[PepperElf]

My question is: what is the difference between a physician's assistant and a nurse (if any) and what does a nurses aide actually DO?

I use to be a nursing student (didn't survive it though).

Physician's Assistant: roughly a nurse, but allowed to proscribe medications, under the supervision / sponsorship of a doctor

Nurse's aide: unlicensed workers who assist in caring for a patient - they may assist patients with mental issues, help the patient with daily activities etc, under the guidance of a licensed nurse.*

*this was a lot of what we did in "clinic" during school. We learned how to change sheets, brush teeth, wash patients, etc.

[trailerparkmedic]

Nurses are the people who assess patients, give medications, and teach. They are the ones who do most of the work you see in hospitals.

Nurse's aides are unlicensed people who help nurses. They often do vital signs, sugar checks, baths and bedpans. If you're in the hospital, you'l probably see the aide (CAN, PCA, tech) more than the nurse. In my ER, our techs can also draw blood and most are trained to handle psych patients.

Nurse Practitioners and Physicans Assistants are what are called mid level providers. They (generally) have a master's degree. They can write prescriptions and, depending upon specialization and state, can do procedures like inserting chest tubes or central lines. They mostly work in outpatient settings, like freestanding ERs or doctor's offices. We use PAs a ton at work for the urgent care (less sick) patients. They are also often seen in hospitals, doing the "simpler" procedures to free up time for the doctors.

Never believe what you see doctors doing on TV shows. Surgeons running the ER in Grey's Anatomy? Hahahaha. Only on the worst of the worst trauma cases, and then only trauma surgeons, and then they work WITH the ER doctors. Doctors running lab tests in House? Please. We have a huge lab staff with associate and bachelor degrees doing that. Doctors spending more than 10 minutes in a patient's room? You're either dying, being reported to the CDC, or a case who will be written up in journals. In addition, nurses do way more than you will see on TV.

[Food Lady]

In the states certifications and duties of nurses' aides vary from state to state. Here one can hold a pharmacist position because of all the training, but in CA--at least when I lived there--they couldn't. It's more schooling here.

[PepperElf]

Never believe what you see doctors doing on TV shows. Surgeons running the ER in Grey's Anatomy? Hahahaha. Only on the worst of the worst trauma cases, and then only trauma surgeons, and then they work WITH the ER doctors. Doctors running lab tests in House? Please. We have a huge lab staff with associate and bachelor degrees doing that. Doctors spending more than 10 minutes in a patient's room? You're either dying, being reported to the CDC, or a case who will be written up in journals. In addition, nurses do way more than you will see on TV.

Very good point.

One of the women I know has a job working in the ER as an Surgical technologist. They don't require any license and a lot of the training is on-the-job. In fact I think she even gets to cut people open too. So yeah, not a doctor, or even a nurse doing this stuff.

[Amina516]

I'd be interested to know in what capacity an ER would employ a Surgical Technologist. They generally assist in surgeries in the OR, and cutting someone open would be outside of their scope of practice. Don't get me wrong, you get properly bloodied, you're just not able to actually operate. I wonder if she's used in a tech position. Some do suture and with further training can draw blood or apply casts, but that's honestly the extent of how they should be used in the US . I was one for 7years. ( I just read the part where STs perform surgery autonomously in Mozambique! That's awesome, but I see they also have routine schooling for that. Only 3 years though. That'd never fly here. Would be interesting though.)

/ thread jack

Have to agree with TPM. I watch TV medical shows when I need a good laugh. I always loved how dark they keep the ORs in Greys Anatomy. Lol.