Let’s just say it now, the less time you “take” from the physician’s day...the better. I know that’s better left unsaid, but I’ll say it. For years the clinicians who cost the practices the least time have been the most valued. 
I just read the below posted on KevinMD Blog.

“Question: What is the most important thing concerning residents finishing training and looking for a practice in 2011? 
a. Feeling of insufficient medical knowledge 
b. Health system reform 
c. Educational debt 
d. Availability of free time 
e. Dealing with patients

If you said “d”. Availability of free time,” you are either very perceptive and in tune with today’s young doctors or you read an article about this in American Medical News. According to survey performed by Merit & Hawkins, a physician recruiting company, 48% of newly graduating residents are most concerned about finding a practice which will allow them adequate free time. This is up from 33% in 2008. Only 7% chose availability of free time as “least concerning.”

So, my fellow NPs and PAs, it’s not about supervision or collaboration (which takes up way too much time for little to no return) or chart review (which takes up more time) or even teaching med/PA/NP students (which again takes up more time). It’s about TIME. The less barriers we can come up with (so the less barriers to our practice) the more we will be wanted by group physician practices, hospitals or even individual physicians. I realize there are many NPs and PAs who will run their own clinics and not have to deal with this physician poll, but most of us will not. Regardless, if we are going to make policy we would be silly to cling to things like names (assistant) that do not describe our profession and make it seem like we need to be very closely watched as well as things that take up time and that have not been showed to increase quality of care. Things like ratios, chart review and yes, the trappings of “supervision”. We will have to realize that the new physicians are not looking at the PA or NP as the physicians of 30 or 20 years ago did. They do not want to hold our hands and settle us into their practice as many physicians did years ago. They want a salary and they are looking at us as colleagues and if they have said one thing when they hire it is “don’t cost us time”.

Those of us that listen would be smart to plan for a future where we can deliver high quality care without costing the system UNNECESSARY time to do it. 

Dave has been a PA, and later NP, leader for thirty years.  He strongly believes that NPs and PAs must work together to insure a better future for both professions.  Most recently Dave has been busy launching another dream; Clinician 1, the first internet community for PAs and NPs.  In October 2008, Dave was honored by the New Jersey State society of PAs with its “Lifetime Achievement Award”.

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