Every day is an adventure at the correctional facility and at times it is not from the inmates. Oftentimes, it is from the person I like to call ''The Lovely Doctor.'' I do not know why I call him that, but maybe it is because it is the nicest name I can call him...yes! It is sarcasm at its finest. One of the perks that has been rescinded ...

Dear Career Coach: I will be graduating this May as a new nurse practitioner. I am concerned about the advice not to skip dates because it may cause my application to be rejected by HR computer systems. Before beginning my studies I had no direct health care experience and so I am unsure about how to make a resume that doesn't have a big gap ...

Over the past month I have had some very challenging patients. I will often question, why and how did someone end up here at the correctional facility? I believe it is better I do not know. Actually, it is none of my business; it keeps the care unbiased and pure and it does not impact how I treat them. If one of the inmates upsets the ...

Last week, retail clinics were a hot topic. On Twitter, we retweeted an article from @Health_Affairs: ''New Web First online now. Retail Clinic Use Growing Rapidly http://tinyurl.com/9e4jh9y  (Free access for two weeks).'' The article highlights the benefits of convenient care, such as longer hours. However, our article The Forked Tongue of ...

I have admittedly been remiss in submitting blogs in a timely manner and actually have a deadline of 5 pm today! Me, Miss OCD! How could this happen? Well, for one, work days are so busy sometimes that I barely have time to breathe -- average patient seen 25 to 30, from STD exams to primary care. And since I decided to take full advantage of ...

I have mentioned in many blogs how much I love being a nurse practitioner. I have enjoyed the opportunities I have been afforded by associating with so many wonderful professionals and they have paved the way for me. THANK YOU! The opportunity I am referring to is my role as an independent contractor for a gerontology group. One year ago I ...

There are six different physicians in my practice and thus, six different philosophical approaches to disease treatment and management. As a new NP, this can be somewhat frustrating. Some days I wish medicine and nursing were a bit more algorithmic. But alas, it ain't like baking a cake, so here's to finding the silver lining. Six ...

My new collaborative physician started two weeks ago, and while I was missing my former collaborative physician, I was glad the company found someone to replace her. One of the concerns regarding my company is no inclusion of the interview process. When I considered leaving this company, I wanted to assist in filling my upcoming vacancy. I was ...

My nurses were in an uproar one day over patients who are trying to schedule post-hospital follow-ups with me whom we'd never seen before, with complex conditions such as post CABGs and even a renal transplant. It turns out that Medicaid is randomly assigning patients to primary care providers in the area, whether there is a former ...

There are several divisions to the medical department at the correctional facility, and for the most part, everyone works collaboratively. There is the medical team consisting of myself, my collaborative physician and our nurse, an LPN. Also, there are nurses, an RN and LPN, who distribute the medication, perform physicals, administer TB testing, ...