Does anyone see anything wrong with the picture above? Several elements are right, such as the bright sky and the smile on my face at having just graduated with my master's degree. Commencement exercises were surprisingly fun, but it was not until the end of the ceremony that my friends and I discovered the sign we were sitting behind. Proud ...

Rosemary Kirousis graduated last week from the adult nurse practitioner program at the University of Massachusetts -- Worcester. Below is the commencement speech she gave. She plans to take her certification exam next month. Let her inspire you. A New Class Good afternoon.  I am honored to represent the Graduate School of Nursing ...

It is hard to believe that after 4 years of school and several months of anticipation, the time has finally come. On May 21, 2008, I will don my cap and gown and participate in Columbia University's Commencement ceremonies. I will join the noble profession of Nurse Practitioners. It will be a day of great honor and enjoyment as I gather with ...

Several students in the public policy and nursing class at the University of Texas Medical Branch’s School of Nursing saw a class project become law during the 80th regular session of the Texas Legislature. The Daily News of Galveston County reported on the student work of future NPs Donald Harper, Christi Wargo, Elizabeth Covarrubias, Mary ...

It is hard to imagine living in a country where the unemployment rate is 60%, the illiteracy rate is 55%, and a large portion of the population lacks electricity and clean running water. It is even more difficult to imagine providing adequate health care in a place where there is an infant mortality rate of 74 per 1,000 live births, a death rate ...

It is interesting how one's life can go from ''normal'' to a crises in an instant. One moment I am wrapped up in a pharmacology class, the next moment I am sitting in the hospital with my husband whose brain cancer has returned. Mark was diagnosed with glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) 2 yrs ago and was doing really well with his ...

Technology is currently booming within the field of medicine. We practice in the age of electronic medical records, ''live'' data, computerized images and hand-held devices. Informatics has become a specialty in nursing, and we often pride ourselves on how much we can accomplish using some state-of-the-art device. Not to mention the importance ...

This is not a comfortable place to be. Although considering my audience, I am sure that you know the feeling all too well. Our work is wrought with struggles between wanting to do what is best for our patients, doing what is required within our scope of practice, and accommodating the beguiling patient or caregiver who can't understand why you ...

My last post described my decision to become a gerontologic NP. In fall 2004, I received a great scholarship and headed off to school. But, in a matter of a single day in February 2006, my life were turned upside down when my husband was diagnosed with glioblastoma, an aggressive and usually fatal brain cancer. Mark required surgery, followed ...

Essentially, I am just a country girl from Kansas who has been on many adventures! To be honest, I really can't say that I always wanted to be a nurse. I was a single mom, and until my mid 20's I had worked in various jobs, including as a nurse aide in nursing homes. As a nurse aide, I can clearly recall that I did not want to be a nurse, ...