Today is the first anniversary of my FNP graduation. I can't believe that it's gone by so fast in comparison to what seemed like an eternity of school to get there. I have learned a lot over the last year about contract negotiations, job hunting, changing jobs and patient quirks.
I am so blessed to have a great job with awesome benefits. My patients are happy that I am able to spend the time with them so that they understand their health processes. It's a luxury that few new or experienced NPs have unless they own their own practice.
My husband and I also decided for my first anniversary that we would go dot com in addition to this site. I have to add more information to the site, but I would love any feedback. The only thing that I don't like about it is the inability for others to leave comments on the blog itself. You can leave comments on the guest book or email me with your comments. If they are interesting, I will put in a follow up post with them in it. So without further ado, click here to take an early peek!
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Sunday, April 27, 2008
Something Wonderful Is Being Worked On By The Nurse Practitioner!
Oh boy! I am working on a new project that I think you will like. It will hopefully be ready by the end of the week and then I'll let you all in on it!
In the mean time, I hope that you will update your blogs if you haven't in a while. There are several in my link list who haven't updated in over a year. In order to clean things up a bit, I'm going through the links and the older posts and deleted ones that I don't need. If there are any lurkers out there, please leave a comment, especially if you are a blogger yourself. If you are a NP who reads and doesn't blog, what are you waiting for?? We need your expertise out here!
One NP that I respect tremendously has a wonderful website with a load of information on NP practice issues and how to start your own NP business. Go on over to the nice little picture on my sidebar for NP business owners.com with the two ladies on it. Just under the Scrubs Gallery link. Even if you aren't ready for going out on your own, it's still chock full of other goodies. Enjoy!
In the mean time, I hope that you will update your blogs if you haven't in a while. There are several in my link list who haven't updated in over a year. In order to clean things up a bit, I'm going through the links and the older posts and deleted ones that I don't need. If there are any lurkers out there, please leave a comment, especially if you are a blogger yourself. If you are a NP who reads and doesn't blog, what are you waiting for?? We need your expertise out here!
One NP that I respect tremendously has a wonderful website with a load of information on NP practice issues and how to start your own NP business. Go on over to the nice little picture on my sidebar for NP business owners.com with the two ladies on it. Just under the Scrubs Gallery link. Even if you aren't ready for going out on your own, it's still chock full of other goodies. Enjoy!
Saturday, April 19, 2008
Just Another Day In Paradise For The Nurse Practitioner
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We went to St. Augustine with our youngest (Anthony) for his 4th grade field trip. We love Vilano Beach, so we stopped by before we went home. Here's some pics taken by my husband "Snapshot". If you would like to see more click here. Hope you enjoy!
Friday, April 18, 2008
Nurse Practitioner Begs To Differ Regarding Pharmaceutical Ads
One of the things that drives me absolutely crazy is watching the commercials on televsion for healthcare products. It always ends with "ask your doctor" or "only your doctor can blah, blah". What about the nurse practitioners who prescribe their products on a daily basis? Do they really think that MDs are the only ones knowledgeable about their medications? Give me a break! The American Academy of Nurse Practitioners has a petition to sign regarding this matter.
Direct to consumer (DTC) advertising by pharmaceutical and medical device companies should provide healthcare consumers with balanced, clear and accurate information. Instead, the majority of DTC advertisements use physician-biased language, misleading consumers about their healthcare provider options.
Phrases such as “ask your doctor”, “tell your physician” and, most egregiously, “only a doctor” ignore the care provided by over 125,000 nurse practitioners (NPs),who hold prescriptive privileges in all 50 states and the District of Columbia and write over 513 million prescriptions annually. We assess, diagnose, and manage both acute and chronic conditions and are proven providers of high-quality, cost-effective, and personalized health care. It is unacceptable for DTC advertisers to continue using language falsely suggesting that only physicians have the expertise to manage healthcare needs.
The exclusive use of the terms “doctor” or “physician” instead of others such as “healthcare provider”, “prescriber”, or “clinician” by DTC advertisers is a disservice to everyone.
Please go here to sign it if you agree.
Thanks for your support!
Direct to consumer (DTC) advertising by pharmaceutical and medical device companies should provide healthcare consumers with balanced, clear and accurate information. Instead, the majority of DTC advertisements use physician-biased language, misleading consumers about their healthcare provider options.
Phrases such as “ask your doctor”, “tell your physician” and, most egregiously, “only a doctor” ignore the care provided by over 125,000 nurse practitioners (NPs),who hold prescriptive privileges in all 50 states and the District of Columbia and write over 513 million prescriptions annually. We assess, diagnose, and manage both acute and chronic conditions and are proven providers of high-quality, cost-effective, and personalized health care. It is unacceptable for DTC advertisers to continue using language falsely suggesting that only physicians have the expertise to manage healthcare needs.
The exclusive use of the terms “doctor” or “physician” instead of others such as “healthcare provider”, “prescriber”, or “clinician” by DTC advertisers is a disservice to everyone.
Please go here to sign it if you agree.
Thanks for your support!
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Change of Shift is Up at Nurse Sean's
Change of Shift is up at Nurse Sean's. An excellent version and great pics!
Friday, April 11, 2008
Nurse Practitioner's Got A Brand New Man!
Just kidding! I do have a brand new first grandson! Hope you enjoy the pics! Mommy did really well during the birthing process and only had 6 hours of labor. Words cannot describe how this process feels. It really is love at first sight!
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Sunday, April 06, 2008
What Does A Family Nurse Practitioner Have To Offer In Primary Care?
In my travels on the blogosphere today, I stumbled upon an interesting conversation at DB's Medical Rants. The discussion entailed the difference in opinion regarding the meaning of the term Primary Care.
"Most internists and family doctors see primary care and think - continuity, comprehensiveness, chronicity, and episodic care. These important front line physicians care for patients with multiple diseases. They provide prevention and screening (flu shots, checking and treating BP and cholesterol, colon cancer screening and breast cancer screening) to their patients. They see patients who have a new problem - sore throat, chest pain, dyspnea, fatigue or a rash. They usually make the diagnosis for the acute problem, but if necessary refer the patient to the appropriate subspecialist. They are specialists, not subspecialists. They treat mental health issues and often sports injuries. They are the most valuable players in the health care system. Data show that areas with more primary care availability have lower health care costs.
When suits, politicians, Wal-Mart and mid-level providers see the phrase primary care, they think “simple care.” They think of patients with one problem, like hypertension or even diabetes. They think of urinary tract infections, sore throats and upper respiratory infections. They think of ear aches and knee pain."
A NP's View's response here states "See folks, us lowly "mid-levels" are grouped together with suits, politicians and Wal-Mart executives - quite the grouping! Second, Dr. Bob seems to think that we are incapable of treating anything that's not simple. Apparently, we focus on one thing only. We don't perform screenings, immunizations, mental health evaluations, make appropriate referrals, etc. Please.
Why are you so sour Dr. Bob? Maybe you haven't had the opportunity to work with Nurse Practitioners and/or Physician Assistants and know that as long as they aren't physicians, they must be bad! Maybe you don't know that studies have shown that nurse practitioners render care that is equal to (or better than) physicians. Maybe you could care less. Well, that's why I'm here to help defend the work that nurse practitioners do and maybe, just maybe, open a healthy dialogue to better understand our respective roles.
As a professional, I do not see primary care as "simple care". I never see my patients as one problem. If I did, I would be working in a walk in clinic where "simple" things like colds are treated.(No disrespect to those NPs who work in retail, I just chose to work in Family practice setting). I take care of patients with a variety of diagnoses including hypertension, COPD, diabetes, diverticulosis, GERD, Hyperlipidemia, to name a few. I also make sure that my patients are up to date regarding colonoscopy, EGD, mammograms, prostate exams, and lab work. I am very careful not to dismiss even the most benign symptoms, because as a whole, they may mean something much more important.
I have found brain tumors and multiple sclerosis where MDs told the patients "that it was all in their heads". Well, yeah...but wouldn't have been found had I not taken the time and energy to ask the intensive questions every day. Differential thinking is the key to finding the real problems.
Too often, MDs and patients are not enlightened about the jobs we do as providers on a daily basis. We go through 7 years of schooling with clinical rotations in various settings. We use the science and compassion of medicine and the science and compassion of nursing in tandem to take care of our patients in collaboration with MDs. I am lucky enough to be working with a doctor who actually thinks my expertise is worth listening to. We discuss cases and sometimes he points out things that I may have have thought about. I do the same for him. Imagine that! True collaboration. It's a great combination and it's how it should be. By working together, taking care of patients becomes the end result.
"Most internists and family doctors see primary care and think - continuity, comprehensiveness, chronicity, and episodic care. These important front line physicians care for patients with multiple diseases. They provide prevention and screening (flu shots, checking and treating BP and cholesterol, colon cancer screening and breast cancer screening) to their patients. They see patients who have a new problem - sore throat, chest pain, dyspnea, fatigue or a rash. They usually make the diagnosis for the acute problem, but if necessary refer the patient to the appropriate subspecialist. They are specialists, not subspecialists. They treat mental health issues and often sports injuries. They are the most valuable players in the health care system. Data show that areas with more primary care availability have lower health care costs.
When suits, politicians, Wal-Mart and mid-level providers see the phrase primary care, they think “simple care.” They think of patients with one problem, like hypertension or even diabetes. They think of urinary tract infections, sore throats and upper respiratory infections. They think of ear aches and knee pain."
A NP's View's response here states "See folks, us lowly "mid-levels" are grouped together with suits, politicians and Wal-Mart executives - quite the grouping! Second, Dr. Bob seems to think that we are incapable of treating anything that's not simple. Apparently, we focus on one thing only. We don't perform screenings, immunizations, mental health evaluations, make appropriate referrals, etc. Please.
Why are you so sour Dr. Bob? Maybe you haven't had the opportunity to work with Nurse Practitioners and/or Physician Assistants and know that as long as they aren't physicians, they must be bad! Maybe you don't know that studies have shown that nurse practitioners render care that is equal to (or better than) physicians. Maybe you could care less. Well, that's why I'm here to help defend the work that nurse practitioners do and maybe, just maybe, open a healthy dialogue to better understand our respective roles.
As a professional, I do not see primary care as "simple care". I never see my patients as one problem. If I did, I would be working in a walk in clinic where "simple" things like colds are treated.(No disrespect to those NPs who work in retail, I just chose to work in Family practice setting). I take care of patients with a variety of diagnoses including hypertension, COPD, diabetes, diverticulosis, GERD, Hyperlipidemia, to name a few. I also make sure that my patients are up to date regarding colonoscopy, EGD, mammograms, prostate exams, and lab work. I am very careful not to dismiss even the most benign symptoms, because as a whole, they may mean something much more important.
I have found brain tumors and multiple sclerosis where MDs told the patients "that it was all in their heads". Well, yeah...but wouldn't have been found had I not taken the time and energy to ask the intensive questions every day. Differential thinking is the key to finding the real problems.
Too often, MDs and patients are not enlightened about the jobs we do as providers on a daily basis. We go through 7 years of schooling with clinical rotations in various settings. We use the science and compassion of medicine and the science and compassion of nursing in tandem to take care of our patients in collaboration with MDs. I am lucky enough to be working with a doctor who actually thinks my expertise is worth listening to. We discuss cases and sometimes he points out things that I may have have thought about. I do the same for him. Imagine that! True collaboration. It's a great combination and it's how it should be. By working together, taking care of patients becomes the end result.
Thursday, April 03, 2008
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