BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES - Universitatea de Medicină şi Farmacie

Physician is still widely used in its older, narrower sense,
especially outside North America. In this usage, a physician is a specialist
in internal medicine or one of its many sub-specialties (especially as
opposed to a specialist in surgery). This traditional meaning of physician
conveys a sense of expertise in treatment by drugs or medications, rather
than by the procedures of surgeons.
Currently, a specialist physician in this older, narrower sense
would probably be described in the United States as an internist. Another
term, hospitalist, was introduced in 1996, to describe US specialists in
internal medicine who work largely or exclusively in hospitals. Such
'hospitalists' now make up about 19% of all US general internists, who are
often called general physicians in Commonwealth countries.
The older, more narrow usage of physician as an internist is
common in the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth countries (such
as Australia, Bangladesh, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri
Lanka, Zimbabwe), as well as in places as diverse as Brazil, Hong Kong,
Indonesia, Japan, Ireland, and Taiwan. In such places, the more general
English terms doctor or medical practitioner are prevalent, describing any
practitioner of medicine (whom an American would likely call a physician,
in the newer, broad sense). In Commonwealth countries, specialist
pediatricians and geriatricians are also described as specialist physicians
who have sub-specialized by age of patient rather than by organ system.
Nurse practitioners (NPs) are not described as physicians; the
American College of Nurse Practitioners do not describe themselves this
way. They are classified as advance practice registered nurses/clinicians,
and are also known as mid-level (healthcare) practitioners in US
government regulations. Nurse practitioners may perform work similar to
that of physicians, especially within the realm of primary care, but use
advanced nursing models instead of medical models. A nurse is a
healthcare professional who, in collaboration with other members of a
health care team, is responsible for: treatment, safety, and recovery of
acutely or chronically ill individuals; health promotion and maintenance
within families, communities and populations; and, treatment of lifethreatening
emergencies in a wide range of health care settings. Nurses
perform a wide range of clinical and non-clinical functions necessary to
the delivery of health care, and may also be involved in medical and
nursing research.
53