NPs & PAs Are Talking – Facelifts, Family Planning and On-Call Shifts
On Facebook last week, we shared the Aesthetics Practice Today blog, "Maintaining Facial Balance with Liquid Facelifts." Blogger Mina Grasso described the impressive effects of this treatment but warned clinicians to outline clear expectations to their patients. Facebook fan Shane commented, "I do these all the time. Patients never, ever have truly realistic expectations at first visit. I find that financial issues are usually part of the equation. I also am a 'patient' and it is simply our nature to want more. On a positive note, I love performing the liquid lifts. I personally use a combination of Juvederm, Sculptra and Botox.
"Instant and gradual changes that most patients appreciate even if it's slightly less than expected at first. I counsel and practice with the philosophy that one should look like they were born with the 'look' we are trying to achieve, very natural, never over done. I'm sure anyone who performs these will agree with the following, ‘Oh that's too much, I look weird' ... 2 weeks later ... 'Can you put more in, it's all gone'! Ahh, the joy of psychotherapy through cosmetic treatments ..." Have you used the liquid face lift treatment on your patients? Let us know what patients thought and how you prepared them for the results!
On Twitter, we retweeted @AANP_NEWS: "Congrats to AANP member Darrell Owens, first NP to receive prestigious Cambia Sojourns Award - http://ow.ly/cyyup" Owens, of Seattle, Wash., won the honor, which focuses on palliative care, for having published over 20 review and research articles, a reference book on the provision of palliative care for people with liver disease, and the first ever chapter on palliative care in the 3rd edition of the Fundamentals of Disaster Management. Congratulations to Darrell Owens on his healthcare achievements! If you know an NP or PA who deserves a minute in the spotlight, let us know by tweeting @ADVANCEforNPPA and sharing the news!
We also tweeted to ask readers what they thought of a Colo. NP's decision to stop prescribing artificial birth control, and we had some differing responses. @HarrisonReedPA replied, "Every patient population I ever work with needs protection from STDs also. Faith-based contraception doesn't help them much." @OneDNP replied, "NFP is a viable option & promotes body awareness. Valdez discloses her philosophy so the consumer is aware & informed."
On our website last week, readers discussed working on call and computer technology. Our blogger Beverly Clayton discussed the struggles of balancing work and a personal life while being on call for 24 hours straight in her latest blog. "I remember the first time I got my paycheck as a PA. Handwritten with taxes taken out and it was more than I ever thought I would make in my life. You could see how financially oriented I was. After working 80 hours a week on rotations a year before for free (actually I had to pay tuition) I found it amazing someone would actually pay me for doing what I did for free. Took a few years to get over but I did," reader Dave said.
Turner added, "Hi Bev, I have been in a position of being on call although it sounds like you take the cake! I found an app for my phone (oncallapp.net) that really helped me screen calls as I found I was also short to friends and family when they called when I was working. Hope it helps J" How do you prepare for your time on call? Do you believe the financial benefits outweigh the personal strain? Share your advice with Beverly and let other clinicians know what to expect when going on call!
Readers also shared their opinions on computer technology in our article, "It's Elementary: 'Watson' Technology Won't Replace Physician Assistants." Reader Naga said, "I am really surprised when i read that artificial intelligence and other technology (which is only going to be better in the near future) can not eventually replace doctors.I think that most docs are really sure about their profession and that is bad.we will see more automation in all fields and that is only beginning..." Do you think technology will one day replace the value of the human mind? Is it possible for computers to properly diagnose and treat patients? Let us know your thoughts!
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