Nurses or Medical professional?

MT (ASCP), 15 years with current and first employer last fall.  I work in Hematology.  Interesting at times and stressful and pulling our hair out 2/3rds the time.   It's better when I actually get to go out of the lab to the floors to assist procedures.  The little kids are fun but it's also sad. 

I'm also a Ceritfied Procedural Coder, but I haven't been able to find a job in over a year, so I let that certification lapse last year, it was waaay too expensive for CEU's and re-upping the certification.   I was hoping to get out of the lab and do something different with better hours, but looks like I'm stuck in the lab for a while longer. 

I also work in a hospital lab working 4-12:30 shift. I am an MLT(ASCP).

I work in blood bank and hematology/coagulation. I have been doing this for 17 years (wow).

5 years in my current position.

Certified Athletic Trainer (ATC)

Have been for 7 yrs and am currently working at University of Florida while working on my PhD as well

Er, not to be a butt here, but that's not a medical professional.

Flight paramedic on helicopter crew, plus some in-hospital duties....

Occupational Therapist x 14 years.  Currently working in geriatrics

RN x18yrs,

geriatric nurse specialist charge nurse x12yrs in 320 bed LTC facility.

Ontario Nurses' Association Bargaining Unit President and Vice-Coordinator of my Local representing 450 RNs.

Met my wife in nurse's training; college sweetharts married right out of school and still together despite the stresses of juggling crazy work schedules and 3 kids. Wife's works a general surgery unit and is finishing up her BScN this fall.

Our 3 kids no longer throw up during meal times while we talk shop

Yet somehow we are still regonized by the AMA. 

That's great, but you're not a medical professional.

okay, okay...let's all play nice, boys.

If it was somehow attractive or envious to be a medical professional, I could see the territoriality, but given, at least in my country, the state of health care and the pressures on its workers, it leaves much, too much to be desired as far as them being attractive carrer options; I have sworn to beat my kids if they ever wanted to follow in the old man's footsteps    

Well, having spent basically my entire life, education, and a whole lot of money in getting to where I am, you'll pardon my territoriality.  I mean no disrespect whatsoever to his job, but I'll continue to clarify the distinction when the situation arises.

BTW DerekL, congrats on the hard work - I thought about going to med school a few years after my RN, to some extent pressured by all of the cliched questions "so, are you a doctor?", then, upon hearing I'm an RN, "oh...but you're going to go through for a doctor, right?" but then came to the self-realization that I love what I do and know that I wouldn't/couldn't work any harder than I am right now and that persuing an MD just wasn't worth it to me, monetarily or with respects to having even less time for myself and family than I already have.

I have great respect for (dedicated, civilized, caring, collaborative) MDs, despite what I am oft heard saying at work

parrj, you've won me over - the link to the AMA about says it all. 

The title of this thread included "medical professional", which, by definition, limits it to those who practices medicine, which are medical doctors. The other part of the thread title, "nurses", pulls more health care professionals into the mix, but I sincerely believe the intent of this thread was to include all "health care professionals", of which parrj is, without question. After all, parrj is the only one being attacked, while others have responded as being neither MDs or nurses.

posted without prejudice

Nobody accused you of doing so, and I said nothing remotely close to what you're implying.  I didn't knock your profession as I've already stated. 

I think the term medical PROFESSIONAL is quite a bit less inclusive than you do.  Lots of people are in the medical field.  Most of them are not professionals.

He's not being attacked.  I hold a different viewpoint of the situation.  You guys really need to stop putting words in my mouth.

And there's nothing "without question" about the situation.