3 little words that make so much difference.
OK…even if you don’t work in healthcare, the answer to the question may seem obvious. So I’m going to throw you a bit of a twist that might change the way you think.
Let’s add 3 little words and see if your response is any different:
“In senior housing, what’s the difference between a doctor and a nurse?”
Hmmmm…that’s interesting. I’ll bet you probably haven’t thought about it in quite this way. It’s amazing how 3 little words can affect your thinking and perception, right?
Surprisingly, the answer to this question is actually very important. And it’s important to understand the answer, as it demonstrates some of the most unique features of healthcare delivery and management in the social model of senior housing vs. a medical model of ‘housing’.
I’m going to give my version of the answer in 3 parts, one article for each part. Today is Part 1, and Parts 2 and 3 will follow over the next few weeks.
So here we go:
QUESTION
“In senior housing, what’s the difference between a doctor and a nurse?”
ANSWER
“The company who signs the paycheck.”
Think about this, because it’s really interesting.
COMMONALITY
What doctors and nurses have in common is that they are both accountable to their employer who pays them. Just as with any employer, doctors and nurses must uphold the standards and follow the directives of their employers. If they don’t, they can be fired or lose their license or both.
DIFFERENCES
Where doctors and nurses differ in senior housing is:
- who employs them.
- who writes their paychecks.
- who manages them.
- who can fire them.
Doctors’ employers are usually the doctors themselves (if self-employed), other doctors, or medical professionals in the healthcare system. The entire professional focus of these individuals is dedicated to patient care. Thus, for their employment, doctors are accountable to other doctors and medical professionals for upholding well-defined standards of care and best practices.
Nurses’ employers, in contrast, are the senior housing communities in which they work. Most of these communities (with few exceptions) are owned and operated by real estate and/or hospitality businesses which are completely unrelated to the healthcare field. Thus, nurses who manage the health of senior housing residents are required to follow the directives of the non-healthcare related businesses that pay them. In this area, standards of care and best practices are not nearly as well-defined as in the medical industry.
Does this imply that the way nurses manage the health of senior housing residents is influenced by the type of employer they have (healthcare vs. real estate/hospitality)?
I invite commentary from readers, especially those having direct experience in this area.
Please e-mail:
st**********@il*******************.com
.
Dr. Steven Fuller
Dr. Steven Fuller is a triple board certified physician/entrepreneur who develops programs in support of an Integrated Care model of senior housing. This model includes 3 equal, interactive, and mutually supportive team members: real estate, hospitality, and healthcare.
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