Paging Dr. Nurse: New Degree Sparks Turf War

Advanced degrees, 'hybrid practitioners' raise questions

(NEWSER) - As part of the effort to counter the worsening doctor shortage, some 200 American nursing schools plan to train "hybrid practitioners" with doctorates in nursing practice who can function as independent primary care givers. But even as the concept of the DNP catches on, some physicians and nurse practitioners are raising red flags about the “doctor-nurse” designation, reports the Wall Street Journal. More»

If you leave feeling worse than you did when you arrived, find a new physician

(NEWSER) - Is it time to break up with your doctor? View your next physical the same way you would a date, then decide. Forbes outlines 10 red flags that might indicate "It's over."

1. Your personalities just plain clash.
2. Your doctor doesn't give you enough information about your health and doesn't take the time to explain his or her decisions.
3. You spend way too much time in the waiting room each time you visit, and your doctor doesn't seem concerned when you mention it.

A doctorate does not a doctor make, say many MDs

(NEWSER) - As more and more nurses, pharmacists, and physical therapists are earning PhD degrees, a battle is raging over which health care professionals can use the prestigious title "doctor," reports the New York Times . Nurses especially are pursuing doctorates, eager to increase their pay and promotional opportunities—last year, 153 schools handed out 7,037 doctor of nursing practice degrees, compared to just four schools and 170 degrees in 2004—but PhDs are increasingly required in pharmacy and physical therapy, too. More»

Detective describes doc's 'look of rage' during assaults

(NEWSER) - A 225-pound pediatrician videotaped himself sexually assaulting children as young as 3 months old in his examination rooms, according to Delaware court documents. During one brutal assault of a 2-year-old, Dr. Earl Bradley had a "violently enraged expression on his face," an investigator said in a sworn statement. The detective described the assaults as among the most "violent and brutal on a child of any age" that he had seen. More»

Soothing classical sounds improve accuracy, doctor says

(NEWSER) - Just like on TV, real surgeons listen to music in the operating room—and it may make them better sawbones. Research by a Massachusetts doc suggests that some soothing Mozart improves accuracy when a surgeon repeats a surgical task. Silence ain’t bad, either—but hearing German folk music issue from one ear and death metal from the other, unsurprisingly appears less than helpful. More»