When I was a medical student doing my family medicine rotation, I worked in an outpatient clinic which was staffed by both doctors and nurse practitioners. As far as I could tell, the doctors and the nurse practitioners did pretty much the same job.
However, in the parking lot, which had ample parking, there were two physician parking spots right by the door. Not that there were any parking spots that were very far away, but these physicians spots were a little bit closer.
There was one doctor who worked at the clinic named Dr. Green, who went on at least two rants during my time working there about the fact that sometimes nurse practitioners would park in the physician spots. Dr. Green got really angry about it. He went so far as to make fun of the nurses who did it by calling them "doctor" facetiously.
My husband says that there is no need for physician spots and it's all just vanity, but there have been times in my career when I really needed a physician spot, such as when I had to race across a crowded parking lot to get to an emergency in the hospital. Or at two in the morning, when I had to treck 15 minutes in a dark desolate area to get to an emergency because there were no physician spots by the hospital. So it's not all about vanity. But I also feel like in an outpatient clinic, it sort of is about vanity.
My medical group briefly had a dermatology specialty (e.g. they hired two dermatologists, and required all the PCP's to refer to them). One day one of the new dermatologists was found pounding a personalized parking sign in to the ground next to the clinic. That was just the tip of the ice berg with these two. Both were eventually let go and now have a private practice in town.
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ReplyDeleteYep, as an NP I am not allowed to park in the physician garage. I have to park in the patient garage. Fun.
ReplyDeleteAs an NP, I don't get to park in the physician lot behind the hospital. Nope, I get to park in the employee lot which is a 10 minute walk away from my office. Makes me feel so valued.
ReplyDelete@ Patho Nurse & Wendy: That's so not right. Personally, I feel you folks should be allowed to park in the physician's parking lot. If you're doing the
Deletesame work, you should afforded the same courtesy. - Paul
NP's and PA's don't do the same work as physicians. Docs aren't superior, but it is a whole different level of training and role in patient care. Each one has a different skill set. That being said it's ridiculous that mid level providers aren't allowed to park (or lounge) with physician providers. We are all colleagues. As a med student I did feel weird about getting to go to the doctors lounge while the CRNA's couldn't.
Deletecorrection: be afforded - Paul
ReplyDeleteI like the physician spots. Not because I am rushing in to some kind of weird psychiatric emergency, but because often in one day I will be at the hospital, my outpatient clinic, the nursing home, and the community mental health center.
ReplyDeleteIf I had to search for a place to park and walk 10 minutes to and from each place, it could easily add an hour or more to my day.
As a medical student I think that will save us the pain of waiting half an hour until you park. ;)
DeleteSo, I'm curious now. For you, Fizzy, does NP=MD? Do you work with PM&R NPs? I personally haven't met any, but then I haven't worked with many physiatrists.
ReplyDelete~Jasmine
I work in a connected hospital and clinic and the "physician lot" is as far away as it gets near the road. Maybe to promote health by walking further than anyone else? And our PAs and NPs are more than welcome to park there and do. The dentists across the parking lot park 5 feet from their door. But right next to a dumpster, so I guess that might be worse than us.
ReplyDeleteAs a PA, I have to park in the regular employee lot and do not have access to the physician lounge, and I don't want to be petty but it really bothers me. Even the medical students get to go into the physician lounge, but nope, not the PAs/NPs. And I don't even necessarily care about the food, because it's the same food as in the cafeteria... but I *do* care about the nice computers to document on and the leather massage chairs, meanwhile my only options are the crappy dictation rooms on the floor and... no massage chairs.
ReplyDeleteDo you work straight 24 hour plus?
DeleteDon't get me wrong but nurses from where I come work 6-8 hours and even though there is a nursing lounge they rarely use it ( of course we take a advantage of such space, lol)
Doctors rush between words and usually the computers are occupied by nurses, so they got to go to their lounge. When I had to write my cases in the computer I have to stay till the nurses change shifts and use the handover time to write ( oh and they kick me pretty fast)
If a cardiac arrest happened in the clinic the team leader will be a doctor. The same for any emergency.
ReplyDeleteParking spot don't mean you are superior rather than your service might be urgently needed.
I guess arrogant docs ( throughout history ) had contributed to such dilemma.
If it weren't for the doctors, the entire business establishment wouldn't exist in the first place. They are essentially the boss, and when things go wrong, their neck is on the line. So if they want their designated parking spaces and special lounges, let them have it. Doctors went through an additional 11+ years of grueling higher education and training. I think they at least deserve easy, accessible parking to work everyday. They've earned it.
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