The time has come! I've passed boards, obtained my state license and I am scheduled to have ''temporary privileges'' at my facility next week! This is such an exciting time for my family and me! We've worked so hard for so many years and this is it. The really amusing thing? I opened the mail a couple of weeks ago when my license came through ...

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 ...

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, ...

On Facebook last week, we shared a reader question: ''Would any of you kind folks happen to know anything about transferring from Florida to Arizona as a nurse practitioner? There is a prescribing requirement that states 'you shall submit written evidence of 45 contact hours of education in pharmacology or clinical management of drug therapy ...

On Facebook last week, we began the month of August with new images from our current issue. The cover article, ''Head Lice Update,'' describes the life cycle of head lice, how the organisms can be removed, and the proper protocol for allowing children with lice to attend school. Check out our new cover image and let us know what you think, ...

''I should give her some vodka. That would make her feel much better. Ha ha!'' You would think that a statement like this would be made at a bar or a party. Unfortunately, it was made by the emergency room doctor, as he chuckled with the nursing staff about my grandmother's pain. Maybe I'm lacking a sense of humor here, but I did not find the ...

In discussion with a colleague, we came to an impasse. Both of our viewpoints were opinion based; neither of us was willing to sway. She ended our exchange by saying, ''This is why you are going to die old and alone.'' I know this to be a joke of affection, but also a reference to one of the things we, as a culture, fear most. What brings this ...

Doctor: ''Nurse, the diabetic patient in room 8 is waiting for his insulin shot.'' Nurse: ''What diabetic patient? Bed 1 or 2?'' Doctor: ''Umm...the bed by the window. I'm blanking on the name right now. John? No, Tom. I think. To be honest, I'm not quite sure. Check the chart. He is the cellulitis patient who is been here for 2 ...

If you're not chatting with us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, ''like'', ''follow'' and ''connect'' with us and start sharing in the conversations! If you are, keep following and spread the word! This week, our social media sites exploded with great comments from our readers. Here are some of the highlights, copied verbatim and without ...

When I became an NP student, there was no making a couple of adjustments to create a serene and everlasting balance between school and all the other things I have going on in my life. Instead, finding balance has been an ongoing, everyday process. It is often downright exhausting and many times I feel it's never completely achieved. There are ...