No one owns the title "doctor," according to Shakeel Ahmed, MD, CEO of St. Louis-based ASC group Atlas Surgical Group.
In a March 1 Forbes article, Dr. Ahmed said the crux of the debate of nurse practitioners using the title "doctor" lies within some NPs earning DNP degrees while physicians train, on average, for years more than NPs.
At a minimum, physicians undergo 11 years of post-secondary education and training. After earning a Bachelor of Science in nursing, NPs train between 18 months and three years for a master's, or up to four years for a doctorate.
The American Medical Association and California Medical Association assert that nurse practitioners could confuse patients regarding their healthcare providers' education level. Dr. Ahmed cited this argument, adding that DNPs in academic settings should be recognized for their status as a doctor but clinical settings require a distinction.
An ongoing lawsuit in California filed by three NPs questions a state law that allots the title "doctor" solely for surgeons and physicians. In February, a California physician who supervised a nurse practitioner with a doctorate was fined $25,000 for improper supervision.
Dr. Ahmed advocates for a middle ground.
"Perhaps over time, NPs will be given greater autonomy, educational exposure and clinical expertise to bring them up to par with MDs for basic medical care," he wrote. "In the same breath, MDs might slowly transition into a more complicated clinical role. At the end of the day, it is about the patients."
He recommends nurse practitioners always identify themselves to patients as an NP, follow state requirements and respect physicians' work while demanding respect for their own credentials.