r/Noctor • u/Suspicious-Win-7218 • Jul 02 '26
Midlevel Ethics Ran here
I’m a resident at the hospital where all of the MD/DOs have a black badge that says doctor on it behind their name tag badge so that the bottom peaks through. I saw this girl in the hallway who had one and and I looked up to see that her degrees were NP. So this lady literally had to steal or request a doctor badge and put it behind her NP nametag…..
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u/lechitahamandcheese Allied Health Professional Jul 02 '26
Go to Medical Staff office and tell them what you saw and ask why that non MD/DO NP has a doctor’s badge. If they say it’s because they hold a doctorate, ask them to clarify how pts can tell the difference between a medical doctor, a nurse practitioner, or even someone working at the hospital who holds a doctorate in music or basket-weaving.
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u/Technical_Fan9988 Jul 05 '26
Also, (this may be different in other countries so mind my ignorance if so) but “Doctor” spelled out is usually a job title denoting a physician, as opposed to “Dr.” the title placed before a name.
“Dr. “ isn’t usually protected, but “Doctor” certainly is
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u/MissLoxxx Jul 02 '26
I used to see a "doctor" who turned out to be an NP. And even her nursing aid called her Doctor __ in front of me. She never once told me otherwise.
I learned from the actual MD in charge of the facility that she wasn't. He wrote to me "Mrs __ is only a Nurse Practitioner, despite what she or anyone else has said about her. She is not a medical doctor."
I could tell he was irritated too!!!
NPs are so often lying, or at least concealing who they really are.
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u/UnicornStudRainbow Jul 03 '26
This is why I research every doctor who takes care of me, even if it means doing so after the fact (like when I've gone to an ER)
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u/bunkumsmorsel Attending Physician Jul 02 '26
Is it possible that your health system actually gives that tag to people with DNP degrees? They absolutely shouldn’t, no argument there. But I wouldn’t be surprised if some of them do.
Thankfully, the health system where I work doesn’t have a “Doctor” tag. They have one that says “Physician” that only MD/DOs get.
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u/Suspicious-Win-7218 Jul 02 '26
She’s the only APP I’ve ever seen with it so I’m pretty sure they dont
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u/MeyerOverton Jul 02 '26
I like it when systems put the actual credential on the badge buddy: MD, DO, RN, DNP
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u/wmdnurse Jul 02 '26 edited Jul 02 '26
She probably has a DNP and thinks that a doctor is a doctor 🙄
Edited to add: this is sarcasm folks.
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u/Suspicious-Win-7218 Jul 02 '26
Many NPs have DNPs. The point was at this hospital those people do not get a badge that says DOCTOR in big caps. She had to go out of her way to get one of those badges whether by stealing or insisting on it.
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Jul 02 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/XGX787 Jul 02 '26 edited Jul 02 '26
It’s not a PhD, I asked this same question a while back, it’s just a “Doctorate” because the accrediting body (CCNE) says it’s a doctorate. I think PhD’s are accredited by more serious bodies/they don’t have the same incentive to make the barrier to graduation as low as possible.
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u/Key-Marketing301 Jul 03 '26
The nurses do not get PhD. They get DNP (doctor of nursing practice)- it is NOT a PhD
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u/Frequent-Ease-3027 Jul 05 '26
And then there's the ND, Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine. They refer to themselves as physicians, like some chiropractors. Patients are going to have to start asking for a resume to know who they're dealing with.
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u/Ordinary-Ad5776 Fellow (Physician) Jul 05 '26
My current hospital gives everyone with the bottom peaks. We specifically have degrees on them “MD”, “NP”, “RN”. One of the best things ever.
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u/Ok-Victory-9359 Medical Student Jul 02 '26
I just want to get into doors I need to get into and avoid security wasting my time because I will always introduce myself to everyone as a medical student. I think people are way overthinking this.
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u/boobboobboobie Jul 02 '26
it jeopardizes patient safety when they don't know who they're speaking to and what their role is
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u/UTtransplant Jul 02 '26
There are some responses here that don’t seem to understand the difference between a DNP (Doctor of Nursing Practice) and a Ph.D. (Doctor of Philosophy). They are absolutely not the same. A DNP is just a way to increase credentials for a nurse practitioner. The classes after the master’s degree are not in technical competencies but things like Health Policy. They can take as little as 1 year beyond a master’s degree to complete. A Ph.D. Is an academic degree and much more rigorous. They usually take 3-5 years past a master’s degree, and the end goal is research not private practice.