What Does A Nurse Practitioner Do?

I thought I would sit down and try to answer a question that brings the Googlers to my site now that school is over. One question that comes up through my site meter is "what does a nurse practitioner do?" Here goes...

A nurse practitioner is a health care provider that can diagnose, treat, and monitor various disease processes. In some states, they can prescribe narcotics as well. So far, there are only four states that still won't allow this component of practice. In some states, a NP must have a collaborative agreement with a MD, some may require direct supervision. Some NPs may have their own private practices without physician oversight at all. NPs can obtain privileges at hospitals so that they can round. Some states allow NPs to admit their own patients to hospitals.

I have been practicing for the last two weeks at a Family practice office. I have seen lots of sinusitis, pharyngitis, otitis externa and media, and some sprains and strains. I had the doctor admit a patient with active chest pain and referred several patients out for colonoscopies, EGDs, and stress tests.

I have spent lots of time getting to know my patient's health histories and updating their med lists. I look forward to building a following of my own. There have been a few familiar faces recognized from the hospital that I used to work at and they are happy to see me in the office.

I will start making rounds at the nursing homes next month. I look forward to getting out of the office every now and then just to break things up. I can see how it can become very boring seeing the same things day in and day out.

The one thing I don't enjoy is all the patients coming out of the woodwork with requests to increase their pain meds and nerve pills. This is the one time that I am glad that I cannot write for those medications. I guess they figure a new face will give them what the doctor has already said no to.

The candy machine is permanently broken people!

I LOVE my job!

Sick Buildings and their Impact on Nursing

Here's an article that I found addressing indoor air pollution that is potentially harming health care workers. Enjoy!

Fresh Out of the Box FNP

I finished my first week as a fresh out of the box FNP and am loving it! I was given 15 or so patients a day for the first few days but saw 22 Friday. I'm feeling pretty good but hate the feeling of being a novice again. Throw me on a hospital floor and I'll shine but this is a totally different arena. I was driving the MAs in the office crazy with my pacing between patients. I'm not used to waiting for my turn to see the patient. I explained that floor nurses literally run all day and the waiting was killing me! One told me that since I was new I was referring out too much. HUH? People need colonoscopies and stress testing and such. If a patient asks for a referral to see a specialist, who am I to deny them?
So far it's been pretty routine stuff. Lots of routine lab follow ups. I like those appointments because they are easy to do. It's the sick patients that take more time. I have to build a "formulary" of basic antibiotics for each condition. This should be easy but I'm having to backtrack down to the non-acute levels of care. I've had several sinusitis/pharyngitis patients, couple of lower back pains, etc.
The ones that kind of blew mind mind were the few that were just falling apart in tears due to emotional distress. I'm okay when women cry ( I know it's sexist, sorry!) but when a man just sits there balling his eyes out.. Man! There are only a few things that will make a man cry like that and it was a sad thing to see. I will see him after a few weeks of taking some time off from work and spending time with his family. I hope he rebounds well.
I'm looking forward to next week to see how things go!
You should start to see me on your blogs playing catch up on some reading. See you there!

Check out Nursing Voices!

I was remiss in my last post not to put Kim from Emergiblog's forum on my list. BAD GIRL! Here's a link. Go enjoy mingling with other great nurses in the blogosphere.

I finally got the contract hammered out and we met somewhere in the middle. I am working in a Family practice office and loving it! No more heavy lifting for me! I took the ANCC Family Nurse Practitioner certification and got my results right there but had to wait for the official letter to send to the nursing boards. Now I have to fill out the 33 page application for Medicare. Off I go!