[Patricia Boyle]

What a thought-provoking video. I often imagine being a nurse back in Florence Nightingale‘s day where there was little to no documentation. What would nursing look like if we spent 100% of our time with the patient. The importance of notating care proves very useful to other practitioners taking care of the patient but what a novel idea to have a secretary or more secretaries than we currently have to assist nurses with the monotonous paperwork. David hit it on the head when he said that secretaries need not be nurses. There are sufficient helpers that can help with secretarial duties such as nursing students and volunteers. Similarly, how medical providers have scribes why can’t nurses too have scribes of their own?

[Patricia Boyle]

Negative comments in life often come from individuals who themselves have insecurities in the area in which they are discouraging or talking negatively about. To be completely honest the very act of telling people I am in a doctorate program shocks myself. My experience with both telling others and remarking on others mile stone of being in a doctorate program has been extremely positive mixed with confusion and doubt. I love what the anonymous author stated about doctors wishing they had became nurse practitioners so that they could be involved with their family more instead of just education. I too have come across doctors who in addition to losing time with loved ones have substantial debt oppositely of nurse practitioners. Fear or discouragement often comes from a lack of education. I am excited when people ask me what a DNP is because I get the opportunity to explain the relevance of the doctorate nurse practitioner and the difference we are as practitioners. Often times when I am met with discouragement or confusion by other colleagues I encourage them to themselves get a doctorate. As nurses and lifelong learners we are one of the only professions that see education as a necessary part of our career. This element is instilled in us in our undergrad programs. We just need to refresh and remind our colleagues of its importance.

[Patricia Boyle]

Just like in any job setting it would be appropriate to compensate the advanced practice Nurse for education completed. As California turns toward independent nurse practitioners, and the public becomes more educated on their patient rights, I believe there will be more patients that pay attention and choose DNP‘s. This will increase the demand of doctorate prepared nurse practitioners thus increasing our salary or compensation. The reality is that no position as a nurse is 100% equal in salary to those around them whether in the same hospital or a different facility. I have learned over the years that typically higher pay is not always a compensation or reflection on work completed. Although it would be nice to be compensated monetarily for work completed we have chosen a profession where most of the days our payment is through the smile and health of our patients. It is necessary to continue to advocate for nurse practitioners to become doctorate prepared so that horizontal violence from other practitioners is a thing of the past. Personally speaking, now that California passed the bill that will allow nurse practitioners to be independent, our work will be compensated the same as a physician. As a mental health nurse practitioner I will be competing with other psychiatrists for patients and monetary compensation. Therefore there will be no need to compete or compare myself with other nurse practitioners, no matter their degree completed, because the consumer the patient will be deciding and paying me for service. I can guarantee that my services and care provider will be superior to that of a master degree Mental health nurse practitioner and I will continue to advocate to other practitioners to obtain a doctorate.

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