So I go from working part-time as a nurse to not really working and just doing clinicals. My preceptors were pretty good about working with us regarding schedules, which was amazing because I have 2 kids and a crazy husband. This was more beneficial than I EVER realized! Now? I realize... Let's see... In my first three weeks, I've gotten ...

Wow! What a year this has been and with each opportunity and experience I have been able to share, I have the ADVANCE community to thank for helping me to grow and be a better professional. I have met so many wonderful people who continue to offer support and challenge me with my every day struggles as an NP working in corrections. Over the ...

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 ...

Q: Please describe the DNP role in your NP specialty. A: I will step up on my DNP soapbox once again to say that completing your DNP serves to open up a new way of thinking, a way to approach your practice. It is not an avenue for developing a new position or making more money. The DNP provides you with the tools and resources to ...

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 ...

Last week I read an article and now I find that I just can't get it off my mind. It announced a new government ''project'' initiated by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. The agency is seeking approval from the White House to begin setting up a system for consumers to report ''medical mistakes'' and ''unsafe practices.'' The purpose ...

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 ...

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 ...

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. ...