As a longtime RN and mother of an RN, I read the April 19 New England Journal of Medicine article “Registered Nurse Labor Supply and the Recession — Are We in a Bubble?” (www.NEJM.com) and am concerned about the conclusions reached.
Few physicians in our community are employing nurses in their practices and are replacing them with medical assistants. Even in hospitals, there are more medical assistants.
Considering physicians are being replaced with nurse practitioners, I’m concerned third-party payers and federal or state programs may be less likely to pay for quality medical or nursing care in the future.
— Name withheld upon request, Roseburg, Ore.
Few physicians in our community are employing nurses in their practices and are replacing them with medical assistants. Even in hospitals, there are more medical assistants.
Considering physicians are being replaced with nurse practitioners, I’m concerned third-party payers and federal or state programs may be less likely to pay for quality medical or nursing care in the future.
— Name withheld upon request, Roseburg, Ore.
