Nursing bills won't help rural access

Regarding “Nurses make strong case” (Our Views, Feb. 11): These independence bills will not increase rural access to health care. In other states, they have just increased the number of nurse practitioners in urban areas. If a physician supervising a nurse practitioner retires or dies, another physician can be found. Should a legal aid take over the practice of a retired or deceased attorney? I think not. Even in rural areas, if surgery or obstetrics is being done, there is always a physician present, so finding one for supervision of a nurse anesthetist is not a problem. For patient safety, supervision by a physician (ideally an anesthesiologist, if available) is critical. A well-known study has shown that if a “code blue” occurs in the operating room, the chance of a successful outcome is significantly higher with a board-certified anesthesiologist in the room. Physicians are trained in the diagnosis and treatment of disease. Nurses are not. Our health care system would collapse without nurses with advanced degrees. They are an integral part of the health care team. If a person wants to do what a physician does, go to medical school. It's not that hard. It does, however, take a very long time. After all, there is a heck of a lot of material to learn. And by the way, none of it did I learn online. Ervin Yen, Oklahoma City Yen, a former Republican member of the Oklahoma Senate, is an anesthesiologist.