nurse practitioner in dermatology

[JCTulip]

seems like an easy way to practice dermatology

 

DNP

 

http://health.usf.edu/nocms/nursing/AdmissionsPrograms/dnp_concentrations.html

 

USF offers the nation's first Dermatology Residency in a Doctorate of Nursing Practice (DNP) program. The DNP Dermatology Residency program is a collaboration with USF College of Nursing and Medicine, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center, Center for Dermatology and Skin Surgery, Bayonet and Memorial Wound Care Centers, and other community physician practices and institutions.

 

The DNP program includes a core curriculum identified by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing's "DNP Essentials" (AACN, 2006). The dermatology resident must complete 33 core and clinical cognate credit hours and 23 credit hours of dermatology residency which includes a standardized and formal curriculum, evidence-based project, and clinical hours. Total credit hours for the DNP degree and dermatology residency are 56 credit hours.

 

The program requires the resident to complete a series of clinical rotations that will progress in the level of complexity. In addition to the clinical rotations, residents are required to complete selected projects and to participate in the department's research program. Throughout the program, written and observed tests will be administered and each resident must complete required publication submissions, presentation of ground round lectures, and must obtain teaching experience as guest lecturers in the USF College of Nursing's Primary Care Nurse Practitioner program. Residents are expected to attend appropriate professional conferences and to participate in professional organizations.

 

The DNP Dermatology Residency Program (USF, 2008) is a challenging academic and clinical endeavor. The program consists of completing the course requirements for the USF DNP program and the dermatology residency. The DNP with a specialty in dermatology will provide a terminal practice degree to prepare advanced nurse practitioners to assume leadership roles in the practice, research, and the health care setting

 

The purpose of this program is to prepare the graduate for advanced practice in the specialty of dermatology at the doctoral level. It is expected that this program will serve as the benchmark and model for other doctoral dermatology residencies across the nation.

 

As the DNA, the NP Society, and the AAD work together to develop a core body of knowledge for the dermatology specialist, it will be important to keep in the forefront the effects of health care bills like HB 699 on the practice of nurse practitioners. Developing programs that are supported by these organizations create competent health care providers that are capable of treating various skin diseases seen in the dermatology setting. For the safety and well-being of our patients, it is imperative that dermatology NPs receive formal academic training and demonstrate competency through board certification. In time, the Florida Board of Medicine's perceptions of nurse practitioner practice may improve when future studies show that the development of these formal dermatology educational programs improves diagnostic and treatment skills and positive patient outcomes.

[Jochi1543]

Dunno if it's "easy." You have to get your RN --> NP --> Doctorate, which is pretty much identical to going to medical school. I would actually venture that it might take longer. I believe at my university, an RN has to practice for 3 years before being eligible to enroll in an NP program, which, IIRC, is 3 years in length, itself.

[robrobin10]

Yea it doesn't look any easier at all.

 

Also I'd prefer to have the general grounding in medical knowledge even if I was going on to specialize in something "easy" like derm.

 

Skin problems can be symptoms of a ton of other issues, if you want to do the best for your patients rather than just being a dispenser for the latest big pharma fads, do it the proper way.

[Mandibular]

Yea it doesn't look any easier at all.

 

Also I'd prefer to have the general grounding in medical knowledge even if I was going on to specialize in something "easy" like derm.

 

Skin problems can be symptoms of a ton of other issues, if you want to do the best for your patients rather than just being a dispenser for the latest big pharma fads, do it the proper way.

 

 

what part of derm is easy?

[leviathan]

what part of derm is easy?

Quote unquote.

 

And seems like more people trying to shortcut going through the entire education required for medical school. RN school is not MD school. Neither is NP school, although it's like a year or two of trying to approximate the basics of medical practice without the foundation of knowledge that you need to really understand what you're doing.

[Guest success100]

Why not just meet the requirements,get a decent GPA and apply to med ?It would be a lot less difficult in my opinion...

[cgy_guy23]

I find it odd how nursing associations keep pushing for nurses to take over jobs that should be performed by physicians.

 

I have several friends who have gone through or have have graduated from nursing, and I can guarantee they do not have the appropriate background. Even with some bull**** "few month certification programs" it just does not suffice. Physicians with up to 10 years of post undergrad training still encounter things they need help with and misdiagnoses happen, so I do not even want to imagine what happens with these nurse wanna-be physicians.

 

Do not get me wrong. Nurses are imperative to our health care system. They are extremely important for patient care and good outcomes - many studies have shown this. But if you do not want to be hindered with responsibilities delegated to the nursing profession, then go into medicine. Otherwise, the patient will ultimately be the one who suffers because of this erroneous movement for more diagnostic and drug prescribing powers.

[mbene085]

what part of derm is easy?

 

"It's not exactly brain surgery, is it?"

 

 

In all seriousness though, derm gets dumped on because parts of it seem very simple (looking for lesions...if it's dry, wet it, and if it's wet, dry it), but all specialties have bread-and-butter simple stuff like that. When I have a cutaneous manifestation of a rheumatological disorder or am having a suspicious mole removed, I'd like to know that the person seeing me actually has the depth of knowledge to treat me properly. Like in all things medical, it's simple until it isn't...and those one-in-a-thousand oddball diagnoses are worth their weight in gold.