Nurse Practitioner Vs Doctor
What Is A Nurse Practitioner?
According to the Canadian Nurses Association (CNA), Nurse practitioners (NPs) are registered nurses who have higher education and nursing experience to autonomously diagnose and treat illnesses, order and interpret tests, prescribe medications, and perform medical procedures. These healthcare professionals also address needs relating to a person’s physical and mental health, gather medical history, offer ways for a person to lead a healthy life, and teach them how to manage chronic illness. NPs are also educators and researchers who can be consulted by other healthcare team members.
Read More: How To Find Registered Practical Nurse (RPN) Jobs In Canada
Nurse practitioners are able to achieve a higher level in their practice with an advanced university education that allows them to provide quality health care to patients in a way that other nurses cannot. Their qualifications open up numerous doors for them to offer a wide range of healthcare services to individuals, families, and communities in settings like hospitals and private clinics. In some cases, NPs work within a team of physicians, mental health professionals, pharmacists, and social workers. In other cases they lead their own practices, overseeing the work of nurses as well.
In Canada, nurse practitioners all belong to the category of regulated professionals who have to meet certain requirements to be able to practice, including getting registered with provincial organizations designated for that purpose. In Ontario, for instance, the College of Nurses of Ontario (CNO) is the organization that regulates nurse practitioners and other nurses.
Read More: RPN Vs. RN - What Are The Differences?
What Is A Medical Doctor Or Physician?
Medical doctors (MDs), also called physicians, are healthcare professionals who diagnose and treat diseases and physiological disorders, as well as injuries. They are at the highest level in the medical hierarchy and usually work in hospitals, private practices, and clinics.
Medical doctors can be specialized in a wide range of areas such as cardiology, dermatology, endocrinology, gastroenterology, general surgery, and many more. However, the most common specialties are primary care and family medicine. These are the doctors who treat clinical problems at an early stage, before making a referral to a specialist in the specific area corresponding to a patient's illness.
According to the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI), in 2020, there were 92,173 physicians in Canada, which represent 242 physicians per 100,000 population.
Source: https://www.caringsupport.com/blog/nurse-practitioner-vs-doctor

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