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 ...

It's ironic that I wrote my last post on October 15, 2012, the 1-year anniversary of my one and only job as an NP. What a year! Or, rather, what a year and a half! The worst of times, yes (the end of a 30-year marriage in June 2011), but also the very best of times (Duke MSN/FNP in May 2011, certification in September 2011, dream job in ...

Have you visited our blogs lately? Last week, new NPs and nurse veterans battled on the value of floor experience. Our NP & PA Student blogger Terry Clarke, currently enrolled in a fast track NP program, expressed his views on what experienced nurses have going for them and what they still have to learn. Here are a few of the comments your ...

There was a disturbing incident that occurred a few weeks ago. I also look at this experience as an eye-opener for me. I have long come to this realization, but it was never more evident than when the incident happened. First, let me start off by stating, prior to my opportunity to work in corrections, I was judgmental and biased and I ...

My contact with pain patients was extensive during my residency in Aurora, North Carolina, a coastal town of about 400, with a patient population compromising of retirees, commercial fisherman and above-ground miners from a phosphate mine. I knew from that experience that even if I never found a job as an NP, I would not choose to do pain ...

I don't know how many of my fellow NPs and PAs have seen and or heard about HBO's four-part documentary on obesity in America, The Weight of the Nation, but I can't recommend it enough: it is an awesome and totally relevant examination of health in the States. So many of the individuals profiled in this series were reminiscent of ...

In our recent Opinions & Essays article ''PAs: The Need Is Great, the Time Is Now,'' author Sharon Bahrych, PA-C, MPH, responded to reader Tina's concerns about choosing the correct career path. ''Yes, you are definitely not alone in your feelings at this stage of your career. Try to find a local NP group that meets once a month for CME, ...

Costs for healthcare are rising. There is not a revelation in this statement, but as providers, we have to be mindful of the dollars we use because it affects raises. My former mentor would drive that home for me. When I would order a test, she would ask, ''Will that test change your treatment plan?'' And if I responded with ''no'' then she ...

One day after having a wonderful weekend off from the correctional facility, I found a note under my door when I entered my office. Generally notes are taped to my door from nurses for one reason or another. I have had an occasional note slipped under my door from an inmate who is desperately seeking help for medication renewal prior to ...

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 ...