5 answers
Andrea
Student
Glendale, Arizona
1
Question
Asked
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What's the difference between a Doctor and a Nurse?
I've always been interested in a medical career but not really sure what to study and don't know how to get the motivation I need. #medicine #doctor #nurse #healthcare #medical
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5 answers
Michele B.
Registered Nurse
4
Answers
Updated
Michele’s Answer
I have been asked this question many times. The real difference between Medicine and Nursing gets down to this:
Doctors diagnose and treat
Nurses promote health
The roles are both caring for patients but from a different point of view, philosophy and focus. If you want to be the one to diagnose and come up with a plan of care for a patient but you don't want to be the person actually delivering the care then medicine is better for you. Nurse don't actively diagnose (though we do all the time) but instead, figure out how to to get the person back to their optimum health and spend their entire shift with patient. The doctors do rounds, see the patient for 10-15 min then leave and move on to another patient.
For example, a doctor writes in the post op orders of give pain medication as needed not more than every 4 hrs and to get the patient up out of bed at least 2x/shift. The doctor has no knowledge of how exactly the nurse will accomplish this.
The nurse determines what time to give the pain medication and times the pain medication for about 20-30 min before he/she plans to get the patient out of bed. The nurse is an expert on how to turn the patient, drop their legs of the bed while sitting them up in a single motion. The nurse knows how long to let the patient sit before standing or even if the patient appears able to stand. The nurse determines how long the walk will be and figures out how to get the person back in the bed.
So you have to look at the two roles to determine what fits you best.
Doctors diagnose and treat
Nurses promote health
The roles are both caring for patients but from a different point of view, philosophy and focus. If you want to be the one to diagnose and come up with a plan of care for a patient but you don't want to be the person actually delivering the care then medicine is better for you. Nurse don't actively diagnose (though we do all the time) but instead, figure out how to to get the person back to their optimum health and spend their entire shift with patient. The doctors do rounds, see the patient for 10-15 min then leave and move on to another patient.
For example, a doctor writes in the post op orders of give pain medication as needed not more than every 4 hrs and to get the patient up out of bed at least 2x/shift. The doctor has no knowledge of how exactly the nurse will accomplish this.
The nurse determines what time to give the pain medication and times the pain medication for about 20-30 min before he/she plans to get the patient out of bed. The nurse is an expert on how to turn the patient, drop their legs of the bed while sitting them up in a single motion. The nurse knows how long to let the patient sit before standing or even if the patient appears able to stand. The nurse determines how long the walk will be and figures out how to get the person back in the bed.
So you have to look at the two roles to determine what fits you best.
Yasemin G.
Aspiring physician
635
Answers
Updated
Yasemin’s Answer
Hi Andrea ! I agree with the above answer, in fact when applying to medical school - it is a common interview question, why not any other healthcare career? I believe that healthcare is a teamwork area and each profession is crucial to the correct and holistic care of a patient but one thing that draws me to becoming a physician is the leadership aspect and being there for a patient every step of the way and aiding them in making the healthcare decisions. This notion began with my own grandmother and carried on throughout especially in my shadowing experiences. There are differences between each honorable healthcare profession, such as amount of schooling, debt, exams, time it takes, etc. I would consider these aspects and also if possible shadow a physician or healthcare professional to see the differences and which you would want to pursue!
I hope this helps!
Best of luck!
I hope this helps!
Best of luck!
Kruti Patel
Manager of practice
101
Answers
Alpharetta, Georgia
Updated
Kruti’s Answer
Doctors give orders and develop treatment plans, while nurses collaborate with a team of providers to put those plans into practice. Doctors interpret reports such as lab results and X-rays; nurses help patients with activities of daily living
Brenda Nelson
Flight Nursing
3
Answers
Seattle, Washington
Updated
Brenda’s Answer
What interests you about medicine - it is a field of multiple opportunities. I would suggest finding volunteer opportunities in hospitals/clinics or with EMS. it will take a passion and determination to study and become successful in whatever field of medicine you choose. The other answers have defined physician work very well, but there are advance practitioner opportunities within medicine that don't require the length of training that a physician has. Some of them function as independent clinicians.
Kala F
Student
5
Answers
San José, Costa Rica
Updated
Kala’s Answer
Well in general, the difference between a doctor and a nurse is that a doctor is in charge of diagnosing a patient, observing, and just overall testing like MRI. Usually, doctors are specialized in a field such as psychology, Radiologists, and others. However, nurses as in charge of assisting these doctors on their duties as well as taking care of the patients after they went through any positions. It is really dependent on the field, but they generally just assist the doctors as well as patients (to later tell the doctors the observations made).