Table 10.
Perceptions of doctors and nurses from the in‐depth interviews
| Descriptor | Doctor related | Nurse related |
|---|---|---|
| Perceived expertise | ‘I'm not running them (nurses) down or anything, they're good at their job, but the doctor is in charge and he says what's what’ (Int 4, male, age 65) | ‘…I mean a nurse takes medicine to a certain level and doctors are further … (it's) just … my confidence in them’ (Int 24, female, age 53) |
| Approachability | ‘He's (the doctor), he's more likely to tell you, you know … rather than some kind of interaction between you’ (Int 31, male, age 43) | ‘I find the practice nurse more approachable than the doctor … puts your mind at rest very easily … make you feel a wee bit more comfortable. I'm not saying they're not as professional (as doctors), I don't mean that at all’ (Int 20, female, age 28) |
| Nature of illness | ‘…if it was something, you know, quite serious, they (the doctor) would know’ (Int 26, female, age 21) | ‘I think, probably, that a nurse could make simple diagnoses (common colds, coughs, headaches…) as well … probably more effectively as well, you know take some of the … (pressure off the doctor)’ ‘I have no objection to nurses being in charge of their patients and whatever condition I had, if the nurse was the most appropriate person for me, I would be quite happy’ (Int 12, male, age 51) |
| Qualifications | …I mean a doctor is more qualified (Int 39, male, age 72) | ‘I don't think the nurse would have the qualifications to diagnose problems … but in saying that, a practice nurse with experience could maybe know more than a doctor’ (Int 39, male, age 72) |
| Respect | ‘…they just seem to have a different standing – doctors from nurses’ (Int 35, female, age 61) | ‘they (nurses) would still be seen as slightly inferior to doctors…’ (Int 15, female, age 27) |
| Academic ability | ‘As I say, a doctor's got to be really clever … a nurse – I'm no’ saying that they don't need to be clever, but…’ (Int 47, female, age 53) | ‘…if a nurse has had university further training, I'm sure she could be every bit as good as a doctor (Int 24, female, age 53) |
| Understanding | ‘…not all doctors and surgeons take time to be with or to understand how the patient feels about the situation that they are in’ (Int 8, male, age 44) | ‘if it's a female problem you're along with, you know, the nurse is kind of much more understanding of how you might be feeling about things’ (Int 21, female, age 48) |
| Waiting time | ‘Generally, it's the time involved. When you see the doctor in particular, you're generally hanging about for a while’ (Int 31, male, age 43) | ‘I would definitely be prepared to see a nurse if it meant seeing someone more promptly’ (Int 8, male, age 44) |
| Prescribing | ‘…if it's a case of well maybe the flu then they (nurses) should be able to prescribe maybe antibiotics or inhalers for asthma, things like that, … especially when the patients repeat prescriptions, where it's something simple that they could take the load off the doctors hands by taking care of them’ (Int 11, female, age 19) |