Since graduation, I've had plenty of reminders - good and bad - that I am no longer a student. There is the ''PA-C'' behind my name and my shiny new state license. A paycheck arrives every two weeks like an airplane dropping supplies on a desert island. And, of course, I now hold myself to an even higher professional standard. While these ...

We made it through one quarter of my first year as a physician assistant. Let's take this opportunity to reflect on some of the lessons learned during my first three months. It's sort of like your boss' 90-day evaluation, but without the sense of impending doom. Transition is Tough - Whether you are moving into a new career or a new city ...

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 ...

As I entered the patient's room, I introduced myself and asked if her name was ''Sarah.'' She said ''yes,'' nodding in my direction with a welcoming smile. Prior to entering the patient's room, I had diligently reviewed the chart. She was 93 and had been hospitalized after slipping and falling in her home, where she lived alone. Her husband had ...

At our practice we strive to set ourselves apart from the rest. There are many different dermatology and cosmetic practices within the vicinity that patients could visit. However, they chose us and we choose to make this the best decision they ever made! Treating patients as VIPs, or Very Important Patients, is a great cosmetic office philosophy. ...

The other day, I came across an article about Val Patterson, a man who was diagnosed with terminal throat cancer. What made his story memorable was that before passing away on July 10, 2012, he wrote his own obituary. It was printed in his local newspaper and then throughout the world. Thousands of people have read it; hundreds have left comments ...

This blog is brought to you by ADVANCE and DNA. Editor's note: This blog post was written by Maggie Macy, NP, who specializes in dermatology and occupational health at Edith Nourse Rogers Memorial VA Hospital in Bedford, Mass. A session at the recent Dermatology Nurses' Association conference made the case for a more robust method of ...

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 ...

Health system analysts and assorted other parties have been forecasting a primary care physician shortage for quite some time. An article published recently in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons predicts two additional shortfalls that could affect patient access to care: nurse practitioners and physician ...