RN scope of practice???

Question

whuts the REAL difference between doctors 'n RNs??? i mean, i know that a nurse cant make a diagnosis. but, do they know just as much about diseases, medicine, and science as a doc??

oh, and, my mom and i r having an argument over whether RNs can evaluate x-rays to determine a patients condition or not.

help, please
THNX :-)

Answer 1

RNs usually have a good understanding about different types of diseases and physical signs and symptoms of diseases. However, they do not receive as extensive training as to what happens at the molecular level during a disease. RNs may also understand certain test result that may indicate that a certain disease may be present...yet the physician will know more compounding factors and have the ability to sort out what might be an incidental finding, or what other conditions or medication may alter certain test results. So yes, while they may often recognize disease or illness in a patient, the physician has a deeper understanding of what may compound this.

The same can be said about my profession, PT...and even though we as therapists do understand most disease processes at the molecular level, a physician has that much more understanding. For instance, a PT may recognzie that a patient is displaying movement patterns consistent with Parkinson's disease. Yet, it is beyond the scope of a PT to order specific diagnostic tests to differentiate between Parkinson's disease and other related movement disorders.

The MDs understand the means AND the end of a disease, where most allied health professionals have usually the knowledge of the end process of a disease (how it manifests itself).

Generally speaking, RNs (and PTs) can give someone a general understanding of an x-ray, but cannot give the definitive medical diagnosis....remember that radiology is a whole other doctoral degree in of itself.

RNs and other allied health professions may have a basis in basic science courses such as physics, chem, bio...maybe even organic chem...but MD will have a backround in microbiology, histopathology, biochemistry,etc...much deeper understanding.

Answer 2

As a 26 yr RN veteran, a nurse's training is not as in depth as the doctor's. We are not allowed to make difinitive diagnosis. We can make nursing diagnosis. We are trained in the hands on taking care of patients as well as disease process. Nursing is not just about giving shots or handing out meds. We take care of the whole family and are the patients advocate and liason between pt and md. Often knowing more about what is going on with the pt than the doctor because we are the eyes and ears of the doctors. We are the one's in the trenches. And unless we are trained in radiology., we do not read xrays. We may have the experience to recognize something wrong in the xray, but, no, we dont determine the condition. That's the doctor's responsibility.

Answer 3

About 5 years of college, residency and 100k a year...:)

While they may know a lot, RN's fall short of disease processes, diagnosis of diseases etc. That said, RN's fresh from school fall short, others who have been in the field and continue to learn on a daily basis can often offer valuable advice to those around them.

Any RN that thinks they know everything a Dr. does, is either a very dangerous RN, or they work around some really stupid docs.

In so much as reading films. X-ray techs can read films and see problems, same as RN's, but seeing a problem, and diagnosing and coming up with a treatment plan for that problem are two very different animals

Answer 4

I think that RN's are not at all like Doctor's. Most of them can go through their schooling online and taking test with the book open in front of them. As a matter of fact I think that RN's (most of them) are lazy and just after the money.
Yes they can give shots and stand there and act like they know what they are doing, if you look at it from a patients point of view; but if you work with them - it isn't very fun, you have to do all of the work because they think they are too good to do anything and when you can finally get them to do something, they screw it up and you end up having to do it anyway....
Common sense and initiative are two things they should teach in nursing school!!!!

Answer 5

the diff is the doctor has a degree while the RN can give shots and what no they still have a long way to go. as for the x-rays i'm not too sure about.

Answer 6

Well..Rn's are still training