Last Friday, the Obama administration took a first step to reverse one of the most disconcerting policy changes made by the Bush administration during its 11th hour on a topic that I’m sure will be controversial among nurses, as it has been in society—the so-called “conscience rule.” There is a 30-day public comment period before the rule can be rescinded. […]
In his speech to Congress last night, President Obama referred to “doctors and health care providers.” I’m not sure why he used this language and I may be splitting hairs, but some people might question why he wouldn’t consider physicians to be “health care providers.” Perhaps it’s because physicians hate the phrase. I have heard more than one physician object to it, even when it’s intended to represent all of the people who are involved in providing health care to people. Physicians seem to find it demeaning. It’s almost as if they don’t want to be part of the team—they want to be apart from it and always in the lead, even if they aren’t best suited to be the one leading the team (for example, when a patient with mental health and complex social problems is being seen by an interdisciplinary team that is headed by a social worker who is the best person to coordinate the patient’s care). […]