Opinion

Titles should convey clarity, but "doctor of nursing" will confuse public

LETTER — Posted July 14, 2008

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Regarding "Medical testing board to introduce doctor of nursing certification" (Article, June 16): If nurses want to be doctors, then they should go to medical school.

They are being dishonest to the patients and the general public to represent themselves as more than they are. Instead, they should be proud to call themselves a nurse or NP, as these are honorable professions.

There is a huge difference in the amount of education and clinical training between a doctor, APNs, PAs and now doctor of nursing, and our titles should convey to the patient who we truly are.

You do not see legal assistants trying to call themselves lawyers; nor should nurses call themselves doctors. It just confuses the public.

Charlotte Wagamon, MD, Conneaut Lake, Pa.

Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2008/07/14/edlt0714.htm.

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