Week 9-1 Discussion Post 2 Document

Deprofessionalizationinhealthcareisuniqueinthat,thoughthereisaneedforprofessionalsof

similarbutloweredskillsetsthroughoutmedicine,thereisstillaneedforthesubjectmatter

expert.Wecanseethistakingplaceinnearlyallaspectsofhealthcare.Thenursingumbrella

coversnurseaides,licensedpracticalnurses,licensedvocationalnurses,registerednurses,nurse

practitioners,nursemidwives,andnurseanesthesiologist,tonameafew.Theproviderumbrella

includesdoctors,surgeons,physicianassistants(PA),nursepractitioners(NP),andnurse-

midwives.Therearealsothedoctorsthatundertakeacertainspecialty,likedermatologyor

orthopedics.Additionally,IknowafewDoctorofPhysicianAssistantStudiesPAsand,likewise,

NPscanalsobeDoctorsoftheirfield.

Oneofthegreatthingsthataccompaniesdeprofessionalizationinhealthcareisthatit

expandsaccesstocarewithoutthetimeandfinancialrestraintsthatcanaccompanythehighest

levelsofeducation.Becomingadoctorfromstarttofinishtakespatience,diligence,andalotof

money,withadelayedgratificationonceoneisfinallyabletobeginpracticing.However,onecan

becomeaPhysicianAssistant,dependingontheprogram,inlessthantwoyears.Myhusband,an

ArmyPhysicianAssistantwhoobtainedhisdegreethroughtheInterservicePhysicianAssistant

Program(IPAP),enlistedintheArmyaftergraduatingwithhisBachelorofScienceinPre-

MedicineandChemistry.TheIPAPactuallyprovidesaBachelorofPhysicianAssistantStudiesat

theendofthefirsthalfofthePAprogram,whichconsistedstrictlyofclassroomlearning(U.S.

ArmyMedicalCenterofExcellence,n.d.).Aftercompletionofthesecondhalf,consistingof

clinicalrotations,theIPAPprovidesaMasterofPhysicianAssistantStudies,atwhichpointone

cantaketheirPhysicianAssistantNationalCertifyingExam(PANCE)andbecomealicensed

PhysicianAssistantU.S.ArmyMedicalCenterofExcellence,n.d.).

WhileaPhysicianAssistantisnotadoctor,theyareabletoprovidesimilarlevelsofcare,

prescribemedication,andconductmanyofthesameexaminationsandteststhatadoctorcan

provide.This,inturn,freesupthedoctortospendtheirtimeonpatientsorsituationsthat

requireagreaterlevelofexpertiseorexperience,withoutcompromisinginpatientcare.The

samecanbesaidforanurseaide;theydonotpossesstheentireskillsetofaregisterednurse

but,byassistinginareasthattheyareskilledin,theyfreeuptheregisterednursestimeto

dedicatetomattersthatrequirealittlemoreknowledge.Thereisroomforalllevelsofskillsets

withinmedicine,asallskillsarenecessaryandbeneficial.

Deprofessionalizationinhealthcareisunlikelytochangeinthefuture.Thefactofthe

matteris,weasasocietyareincreasingourlifespansandoursurvivalrate.Thisincreasesthe

needforcompetenthealthcareprovidersandpractitioners.Allowingforpathwaystothese

professionsthatdon’trequiresuchatimecommitmentallowforaquickerentranceintothe

professionwithoutsomuchfluff.Thereareamultitudeofmedicalsituationsandscenarios

whereadoctorisnecessary,buttherearealsojustasmanyhealthcaresituationswherea

doctor’sexpertiseisn’trequired.Educatedandcredentialedprovidersandpractitionerscanfillin

manyofthegapsinhealthcare,particularlyintermsofstaffingandpatientaccess.

References

IPAP – Interservice Physician Assistant Program. U.S.ArmyMedicalCenterofExcellence.

(n.d.).https://medcoe.army.mil/ipap