Well, as you guys know, I've passed boards and have already accepted a position in an acute care setting. I actually started yesterday and am so excited! So far I've been in orientation and the anticipation of actually rounding and caring for patients is killing me! I start rounding next week and am really looking forward to sharing this ...

Last week, NP & PA Student blogger Terry Clarke shared his concerns over the status of nursing. ''I am currently in a class called ‘Societal Forces' as a precursor to my first semester of advanced assessment in the Adult/Gero Primary Care Nurse Practitioner track. The teachers are passionate and well informed. The speakers are excellent, but ...

I am currently in a  class called ''Societal Forces'' as a precursor to my first semester of advanced assessment in the Adult/Gero Primary Care Nurse Practitioner track. The teachers are passionate and well informed. The speakers are excellent, but the subject matter...The subject matter is frankly depressing. The class theme seems to ...

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 ...

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 am considering buying a new camera. After a visit to the camera shop and listening to several sales pitches, I have narrowed it down to choosing between two or three different models. To help me make my final decision I intend to do some research online. All I need to do is ''google'' the name of a camera to see what opinions and details are ...

OK, I will admit it. I do not really understand economics and I don't really follow politics, and so I cannot engage in a meaningful conversation about the Economic Stimulus Plan. But here is what I do know and understand -- more and more patients are calling me or coming in to see with worry about how they are going to afford medical care ...

Monday's Bismark (N.D.) Tribune ran a positive article introducing the role of nurse practitioners with a DNP to the public. ''Nurse Who Is Also a Doctor'' featured nurse practitioner Stacey Pfenning, who has a doctor of nursing practice degree. Although the article might lead to some confusion among careful readers about whether a DNP expands an ...