2 answers
Sundus
Student
Saint Anthony, Minnesota
1
Question
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What are the main differences between a nurse with a PhD and a physician ?
I’ve always wanted to become a Doctor, lately my mind fluctuates between the three. #RN #Medicine #physician
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2 answers
Wala'a B
Healthcare and Student Succeses Advocate
10
Answers
Detroit, Michigan
Updated
Wala'a’s Answer
Peace, Sundus,
I hope you are doing great!
There are significant differences between the respective fields. This is what I know:
Registered Nurse (RN):
A nurse is a licensed healthcare professional who provides direct patient care, often spending the most time with patients. Nurses monitor vital signs, administer medications, advocate for patient needs, and provide emotional and physical support. Their role is holistic, and they see the patient as a whole person, not just an illness. Many RNs also specialize in areas like critical care, pediatrics, or oncology.
Medical Doctor (MD) or Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO):
Both MDs and DOs diagnose and treat illnesses. They’re trained to make medical decisions, prescribe medications, and perform procedures. Their focus is on clinical, disease-centered care, and they often lead the medical team when it comes to diagnostics and treatment planning. Their training is rigorous, and they often complete residency and sometimes fellowship in a specialty. There are some minute differences between the two, but overall, their goal to treat and aid patients is the same.
PhD (Doctor of Philosophy):
This is not necessarily a clinical degree (though it could be in certain cases) but more so focused on research and knowledge creation. PhDs study topics deeply, whether it’s biology, epidemiology, psychology, or health policy. They become experts in their respective fields. They might work in labs, teach in universities, or lead public health research. They ask the big “why” questions: Why does this disease happen? What factors make outcomes worse or better? They majorly work in labs, studying the "why" behind things, researching either with actual animals or combing through literature on the quest to find an answer to their research questions.
Nurse with a PhD (PhD-prepared nurse):
Some people start as a nurse, a RN, and pursue a PhD to become a nurse scientist. They research how to improve patient care, nursing education, healthcare systems, and health equity. They often work behind the scenes to answer questions like: “How can nurses better care for patients with chronic illness?” or “What’s the impact of nurse staffing on patient outcomes?” They might also teach future nurses or advise hospital systems.
* MDs treat patients at the bedside using the best available clinical tools - deals with medicine and treatment
* PhDs explore the science behind the scenes — finding new knowledge and pushing the field forward - deals with research and studies in literature and labs
* Nurses care deeply and directly, focusing on the person behind the patient.
* Nurse who get PhDs blend both — using their clinical lens and research skills to improve care at a systems level.
Each path is powerful. It just depends on what kind of impact you want to make, be it in the moment, behind the scenes, or somewhere in between.
You got this!
I hope you are doing great!
There are significant differences between the respective fields. This is what I know:
Registered Nurse (RN):
A nurse is a licensed healthcare professional who provides direct patient care, often spending the most time with patients. Nurses monitor vital signs, administer medications, advocate for patient needs, and provide emotional and physical support. Their role is holistic, and they see the patient as a whole person, not just an illness. Many RNs also specialize in areas like critical care, pediatrics, or oncology.
Medical Doctor (MD) or Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO):
Both MDs and DOs diagnose and treat illnesses. They’re trained to make medical decisions, prescribe medications, and perform procedures. Their focus is on clinical, disease-centered care, and they often lead the medical team when it comes to diagnostics and treatment planning. Their training is rigorous, and they often complete residency and sometimes fellowship in a specialty. There are some minute differences between the two, but overall, their goal to treat and aid patients is the same.
PhD (Doctor of Philosophy):
This is not necessarily a clinical degree (though it could be in certain cases) but more so focused on research and knowledge creation. PhDs study topics deeply, whether it’s biology, epidemiology, psychology, or health policy. They become experts in their respective fields. They might work in labs, teach in universities, or lead public health research. They ask the big “why” questions: Why does this disease happen? What factors make outcomes worse or better? They majorly work in labs, studying the "why" behind things, researching either with actual animals or combing through literature on the quest to find an answer to their research questions.
Nurse with a PhD (PhD-prepared nurse):
Some people start as a nurse, a RN, and pursue a PhD to become a nurse scientist. They research how to improve patient care, nursing education, healthcare systems, and health equity. They often work behind the scenes to answer questions like: “How can nurses better care for patients with chronic illness?” or “What’s the impact of nurse staffing on patient outcomes?” They might also teach future nurses or advise hospital systems.
* MDs treat patients at the bedside using the best available clinical tools - deals with medicine and treatment
* PhDs explore the science behind the scenes — finding new knowledge and pushing the field forward - deals with research and studies in literature and labs
* Nurses care deeply and directly, focusing on the person behind the patient.
* Nurse who get PhDs blend both — using their clinical lens and research skills to improve care at a systems level.
Each path is powerful. It just depends on what kind of impact you want to make, be it in the moment, behind the scenes, or somewhere in between.
You got this!
Elle Colombel, CSM
Healthcare Industry Strategist/Healthcare SMEs/Analytics & Research
18
Answers
Columbia
Updated
Elle’s Answer
MD and Phd are both higher degrees. MD stands for Doctor of Medicine, and Phd stands for Doctor of philosophy. The first difference that can be mentioned of the two, is that MD is associated with treating patients, and Phd is related to a doctor's degree in other fields. The DNP, or Doctor of Nursing Practice, is a clinical practice degree while the PhD, or Doctor of Philosophy, in nursing is a research-focused degree. ... Both DNP and PhD graduates can work as nurse practitioners once they earn the proper credentials.
Best of luck!!