The Importance and Challenge of Meeting Pharmacology Continuing Education Requirements for Nurse Practitioners

As nurse practitioners (NPs), prescribing medications is a central part of our daily practice. To maintain high standards of patient care, continuing education in pharmacology is not just recommended but mandatory. However, staying up-to-date with the latest pharmacological guidelines and advancements presents its own set of challenges. Fortunately, new resources like Hippo Education’s Practical Pharmacology: An Outpatient Audio Course are...

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Pediatric Dental Health: Navigating Halloween’s Candy Craze

Halloween – a time filled with costumes, fun, and, for kids, a seemingly endless supply of candy. While it’s an exciting season for children, it can be a challenge for nurse practitioners caring for pediatric patients. The increased sugar intake can lead to heightened risks of cavities and tooth decay. As nurse practitioners, it’s important not only to understand the dental concerns associated with Halloween but also to educate families on...

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Time Management Pearls for Clinicians: Optimizing Efficiency

As healthcare professionals, our days are filled with many tasks, such as patient encounters, documentation, and administrative work, not to mention keeping track of a household or family. Time management becomes crucial in ensuring that we provide quality care while maintaining our well-being. In this blog, we'll explore some valuable pearls for efficient clinical time management, and I’ll note some tips that have worked well for me.

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A Practical Approach to Pediatric Fever: Understanding the Three Buckets of Diagnoses

Fever in children is one of the most – and anxiety-inducing – concerns for parents and caregivers. While many pediatric fevers are harmless, some can signal more serious underlying conditions. A systematic approach to evaluating pediatric fever can help ensure that serious conditions are not overlooked. One effective method is to categorize potential diagnoses into three main buckets: Common Infections, Serious Infections, and ...

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Introducing Practical Pharmacology: An Outpatient Audio Course

Nowhere is the gap between book learning and clinical practice quite so apparent as in the world of pharmacology. The best medication for Diagnosis X is Drug Y on the boards, but what about when your real-life patient is allergic to that medication? What if they can’t afford it? What if there’s a drug shortage?

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The DDx for Acute Low Back Pain: SOS

It’s summer, and that is officially the season of the weekend warrior. You know who I’m talking about because you see them every week in your clinic. They decided to take on a new gardening project, a strenuous workout or tried water-skiing for the first time in decades, and now, a few days later they come to you with pain in their lower back. 

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Boosting HPV Vaccination Rates: Best Practices for Better Clinician Communication

As we enjoy the remainder of our summer but look ahead to the upcoming school year, it’s time to start thinking about those back-to-school physicals and routine immunizations for our patients and our own kiddos.  In this blog post, we will offer insight into two current methods of offering HPV vaccinations to our youngsters and their parents/caregivers and discuss which method improves HPV vaccination rates. 

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Clinicians Are Only Human

Recently, one of my primary care patients sent me a routine question through the electronic medical record, asking when they should get a specific blood test to guide their medication dosing. When an hour went by and I hadn’t responded, my patient called the front desk of our clinic to ask the question over the phone and inquire why I hadn’t written back. They also wrote me another message, voicing their disappointment that I hadn’t...

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Focusing on Men’s Health: Recommended Screenings for Men’s Health Month

Every June, Men’s Health Month serves as a reminder to focus on men’s health, encouraging early detection and treatment of diseases. It aims to raise awareness about preventable health problems, promote healthy living, and encourage men to seek regular medical advice. In this blog post, we delve into the significance of Men’s Health Month and recommend essential screenings every man should prioritize.

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"I Messed Up"

In the high-stakes world of medicine, where every decision holds weight, the inevitability of human error can loom large over clinicians. It's a reality we all face, yet admitting our mistakes and grappling with their aftermath can be one of the most challenging aspects of our profession. How do we reconcile our desire for perfection with the reality of fallibility? How do we move forward gracefully and resiliently after making a clinical...

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April Showers Bring May Flowers… and Allergies!

Spring is one of the worst seasons for seasonal allergy sufferers. Patients with seasonal allergies will commonly complain of runny noses, congestion, itchy, watery eyes, and sneezing. However, a chronic cough and sinusitis can also be caused by allergies. 

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Fighting Imposter Syndrome

You're in the clinic and about to walk into a room to see a patient with a non-specific chief complaint like dizziness. In your head, you know the dizziness could mean something benign and self-limiting or emergent and life-threatening. You know you learned about the HINTS exam in your training, but now you're questioning if a positive head impulse is good or bad. You're starting to think, "Gosh, do I know anything? Why did these people...

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