Reply To: Bills restricting or banning nurses with doctorate degrees from using “doctor”

[Alyssa]

I am currently a DNP student in California. I think it is so important to be informed on the laws, practice standards, and scope of practice regulations for the state you plan on practicing in. The bill states that is is considered a “misdemeanor for a person who is not licensed as a physician and surgeon under the act, except as specified, to use certain words, letters, and phrases or any other terms that imply that the person is authorized to practice medicine as a physician and surgeon.” I think that many patients hear the word doctor and automatically think physician. In reality there are many health care roles such as DNP or DPT where the individual has earned a doctorate. I think that there needs to be proper education so the public is aware of what a DNP is. I fear that this bill will not promote educational and informed discussions with out patients about the DNP role because everyone will simply just introduce themselves as the nurse practitioner.