PSA. I'm home from the doc for my back pain. If you are suffering with pain of unknown cause this info may help you.

[3catwoman3]

116. Depends on specialty and what we've learned/been taught to do.

CAT scans and MRIs are typically read by radiologists, whether ordered by docs or NPs/PAs. X-rays for things like pneumonia or fractures will ultimately be interpreted by radiology, but may well get an initial look-see by whoever ordered it.

One of my most triumphant moments came very early in my NP career, during my first tour of duty with the Air Force nurse corps. I was assigned to the pediatric clinic in the major teaching hospital at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, TX. All the NPs were included in some of the teaching rounds for the interns and residents. In one session on reading chest X-rays, none of the docs picked up on the anomaly that one patient had. After several minutes of them offering one interpretation(guess) after another, all to be met with the attending physician saying, "Nope," I finally spoke up and said "No clavicles." The patient in question had been born with the congenital absence of both collar bones. It was quite obvious, but I was the only one who noticed.

The attending doc was complimentary, and I was pretty proud of myself.

In some states, NPs can have their own practices. I never wanted that, preferring to have the immediate availability of an on-site physician colleague for the occasional odd thing that was outside my expertise/comfort zone.