Australian Doctor
28th July 2009
Dr Kerri Parnell, Editor-in-Chief

ONCE upon a time it was simple. Doctors were doctors, and nurses were, well, nurses. Doctors wore white coats, nurses wore starched uniforms, and patients knew who was who. There were no arguments about who did what.

Flash forward a few decades and we have some nurse practitioners not only claiming independent health provider status, but also calling for equal MBS payments to GPs. How did we get here and, more importantly, what does the future hold?

From the government's perspective, having nurses perform duties currently performed by doctors must be an attractive solution to the medical workforce crisis, especially in light of the ageing population.