Nursing

[Howzat]

Hey guys!

Just filling out my VTAC preferences. I would love to do Medicine and Surgery and Monash but I am not so sure I'd be able to get the grades to get in. (UMAT ... ).

However, I do gain a sense of satisfaction helping other people and hence, I really don't think I could see myself doing Commerce/Science/Biomedicine/Research/Law. (I am not demeaning those careers/courses but it wouldn't suit me).

I am definitely thinking of nursing, after Medicine and Surgery, and would like to know if anyone here could tell me about .... what the job entails?

(I am not too sure what the differences are between this and MBBS, in regards to contact with patients)

Thank!

[Tomw2]

I am definitely thinking of nursing, after Medicine and Surgery, and would like to know if anyone here could tell me about .... what the job entails?

They are completely different roles derived from different models of care, so the differences are of often substantial though intersecting at occasional points. Both are dynamic roles, so defining succinctly is difficult.

The medical model is largely concerned with the assessment/management of risk and the process & rationale of diagnosis and the formulation of treatment. Where the actual delivery of treatment involves a detailed understanding of variables (e.g. invasive surgery), medical practitioners are responsible for that too.

The nursing model is largely concerned with patient advocacy, facilitating the practice of medicine and the art of improving patient quality of life in terms of how they experience healthcare. The nursing model is also increasingly concerned with observation and reporting.

Medical practitioners are ultimately responsible for patient outcomes as they are effectively trained risk-assessors & managers. Ultimately, nurses are facilitators of this process.

(I am not too sure what the differences are between this and MBBS, in regards to contact with patients)

What do you mean exactly? In terms of what - quality or time? They both have a different role and approach to the patient.

Patient contact starts early in both medicine and nursing. In each field you start with the repsective fundamentals - ie. in medicine both medicine and nursing it is infection control and the basics of communication (e.g. eye contact, active listening). Specifically in medicine it is how to take an effective medical history. Specifically in nursing it is how to anticipate and understand a patient's needs while delivering prescribed care... etc.