Katy Vogelaar, FNP-C
As nurse practitioners, we step into some of the most vulnerable and sacred moments of our patients’ lives. Whether it’s delivering life-altering news, managing chronic illness, or walking alongside someone at the end of life, our work is meaningful. It’s also emotionally demanding. Over time, this emotional labor can take a toll in the form of compassion fatigue.
The “red eye” is a common presenting symptom in primary care, spanning a spectrum of conditions from benign to sight-threatening emergencies. Knowing how to differentiate these conditions quickly is key to providing safe, effective care.
It happens all the time. You’re flipping through a patient’s labs before knocking on the exam room door, and — bam — anemia. Maybe they’re here for fatigue. Maybe it’s a routine visit. Either way, the lab is nudging you toward a bigger question: why?
Vaccine hesitancy remains one of the most pressing challenges in preventive health. Despite the availability of safe and effective vaccines, many patients delay or refuse immunizations, threatening herd immunity and increasing the risk of vaccine-preventable disease outbreaks. So far in 2025, we have seen how decreased vaccination rates for measles in the US has resulted in one of the highest cases of measles since it was deemed eradicated...
Biologic medications have transformed the treatment landscape for autoimmune and chronic inflammatory diseases. While initiation often comes from specialists like rheumatologists, dermatologists, and allergists, clinicians are increasingly likely to encounter patients who are taking or being considered for biologic therapy. Understanding how these medications work, what conditions they treat, and the safety implications is essential for...
Let’s be real: navigating the U.S. healthcare system isn’t just hard for patients—it’s hard for us too. But while we can’t rewrite the rules, we can help patients work within them.
Have you ever felt dread when looking at the “pre-travel” appointment on your clinic schedule or getting the inbox message from a patient asking for guidance on traveling to a foreign country? You’re not alone! While you may feel comfortable talking about avoiding travelers’ diarrhea, many clinicians may feel uneasy with counseling patients on required vaccines or knowing which tropical diseases are endemic to specific locations....
While clinic schedules and waiting rooms ebb and flow with seasonal illnesses, the demands on clinician time remain constant.
Medications are a vital part of asthma management—but they’re not the only tool in your kit. Helping patients gain control of their asthma also means teaching them how to recognize and avoid the triggers that lead to flares.
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the U.S. While most cases are diagnosed in individuals over 65, rates are rising in adults under 50, making early screening more critical than ever. Screening reduces CRC mortality by catching cancer in its early, treatable stages, yet many patients remain hesitant or unsure of their options.
The red and pink hearts decorating our homes and stores in February remind us not only of Valentine’s Day but also of Heart Health Month. Heart disease is the leading cause of death nationally. To lower the risk of cardiovascular disease, the American Heart Association recommends screenings for risk factors. In 2023, they announced theirnew PREVENT tooldesigned to calculate the risk of heart disease.
While winter brings snow, festive holidays, and cozy sweaters, it can also bring dry skin. For patients with atopic dermatitis, or eczema, winter often worsens eczema symptoms due to cold air, indoor heating, and increased exposure to triggers such as stress. To help your patients manage their atopic dermatitis, focus on these three key strategies: