Thursday, December 08, 2011

Nurse Practitioner Loves Students

I am currently working with a FNP student and am really enjoying our interactions. I really get a kick when I see the light come on in a student's eyes as something clicks into place. I remember how nervous I was and hoped that the preceptor wouldn't ask me a question that I didn't know the answer to and that it would make me feel really stupid. It's not all that different that regular nursing school! You guys thought it got easier? Nope.

It actually gets a little harder in my opinion. You have to come up with so many differentials in the office setting and it comes from collecting a body of knowledge as a nurse and then building on it over time. That's why I wondered how effective a NP can be if they haven't spent a lot of time on the hospital floor honing those skills of subtle nuance changes in patient's conditions.

You will also become somewhat of an expert in certain types of skills in the office setting. My seemingly particular skill is gallbladder disease. I tend to attract bad gallbladders for some reason. They also come in waves.

Unfortunately, waves of other types also come into my setting. Cancer is one that I am getting tired of swimming through, especially this time of year. I hate when bad things happen around the holidays. You never enjoy them them same when a loved one is diagnosed or dies during the Christmas season. Right now, I have approximately 5-6 people who are either recently diagnosed with cancer or I suspect will be soon. Most of them are lung cancer from past smokers.


PLEASE encourage your patients to stop smoking or dipping tobacco. I hate telling people that they don't have long to live because of something preventable. For the next few weeks, I will be ordering more chest xrays for some of my past and current smokers. I hope I don't find any more problems for a long while.

3 comments:

  1. As a NP student graduating in May it is refreshing to hear some preceptors actually do enjoy having a student. I've heard from a couple of my preceptors that it was refreshing to have another person in the office to bounce ideas off of, particularly if she/he was the only NP in the office.

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  2. Lifestyle choices make up the cause of up to 40% of cancers I read this week. Great advice. It is tough to tell someone they have cancer any time of year, but especially now.

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  3. I like it very much. Its so interesting. Its a very useful article. I like the way you explain the things. Keep posting. Thanks
    in home nurse

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