Lessons Learned Later (Part 2)
Posts about Nurse Practitioner
Early Lessons for New Nurse Practitioners (Part 1)
Regardless of your specialty or setting, there is a mountain of knowledge to take in during your first year of practice that goes far beyond medicine. Whether you work in-patient or clinic, ICU or dermatology, there is a unique culture that you are stepping into. Hopefully, it is a culture of teamwork, grace, and growth. But wherever you find yourself, there are a few universal lessons that all NP’s need to learn during this crucial...
Compassion Fatigue: The Hidden Cost of Caring in Nursing Practice
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 Green and Red Flags of the NP/PA Job Hunt
Whether you are a new graduate or an experienced advanced practice clinician (APC) looking for a change, navigating the job market can be daunting. There’s much more to unpack than just the salary, and the most important details are never going to be found on the job posting.
Chief Complaint: Differential Diagnosis of Red Eye: When to Refer and When to Manage
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.
Anemia in Adults: A Stepwise Approach to The Diagnosis
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?
Feel like you don’t know what you’re doing? Good.
“I feel like I suck, and I don’t know what I’m doing.”
What NP Education is Getting Right
January was for reflection and honesty about the current state of Nurse Practitioner education; a plea to steer the ship in a different direction. Now, let's talk about what NP education is getting right. From community medicine collaborations with EMS to post-graduate fellowships, clinicians and institutions across the country are working to move our profession forward and better serve patients in an increasingly complex healthcare system.
2026: A Time for Reflection, and Resolutions
Nurse practitioners are a vital part of our healthcare system. We are compassionate and capable clinicians who help to improve access to care in almost every setting and specialty. Behind the essential role we play lies a growing reality that is raising concern in the healthcare community: the path to becoming an NP in the United States lacks consistent standards, especially compared to the highly standardized, regulated training at the...
The Subtle Art of Eating Lunch
We are all guilty of it, and for most of us, it probably happened during our last shift. A protein bar while answering emails, a quick donut from the nurses' lounge in between patients. Eating your salad from the cafeteria while catching up on notes during lunch. The first sip of your breakfast meal replacement (aka energy drink/coffee).
In Their Prime: The Geriatrics Audio Course Every Clinician Needs
The population is aging fast, and clinicians are feeling the impact. By 2030, 1 in 5 Americans will be over 65, and older adults already represent the highest healthcare utilization of any age group. Yet fewer than 45% of medical schools have a required geriatrics rotation, leaving most of us to piece together our knowledge on the fly.
Happy Nurse Practitioner Week!
Origin Story
The nurse practitioner (NP) profession can trace its roots back to a pediatric clinic in Colorado. In 1965, the first NP program was founded by Dr. Loretta Ford, a public health nurse, and Dr. Henry Silver, a pediatrician. This was in response to an expansion of Medicare and Medicaid that left many at-risk populations without adequate access to primary care, particularly in the pediatric population. Two years later, Boston...