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 ...

There are six different physicians in my practice and thus, six different philosophical approaches to disease treatment and management. As a new NP, this can be somewhat frustrating. Some days I wish medicine and nursing were a bit more algorithmic. But alas, it ain't like baking a cake, so here's to finding the silver lining. Six ...

My new collaborative physician started two weeks ago, and while I was missing my former collaborative physician, I was glad the company found someone to replace her. One of the concerns regarding my company is no inclusion of the interview process. When I considered leaving this company, I wanted to assist in filling my upcoming vacancy. I was ...

There are several divisions to the medical department at the correctional facility, and for the most part, everyone works collaboratively. There is the medical team consisting of myself, my collaborative physician and our nurse, an LPN. Also, there are nurses, an RN and LPN, who distribute the medication, perform physicals, administer TB testing, ...

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 ...

I believe the word ''no'' is very powerful and can be used in many ways. ''No'' can be used as a safety mechanism. For example, ''No, you cannot mix Plavix and omeprazole,'' or, ''No, I don't believe that is a nodule, but a fatty tumor, which is normal.'' In those types of contexts, the word ''no'' is not difficult. But as a new NP in a new ...

On my first day working the clinic alone, I saw 19 patients, half of whom were primary care patients and the others a combination of family planning, child health, and STDs. The nurses were amazed and very pleasantly surprised. Given that the PA who was fired saw seven to eight patients a day, and often left the clinic without notice, anyone ...

Dear Career Coach: I am a new graduate and will be starting my job search soon. I am wondering how to know what salary I can expect? How can I evaluate whether or not the offer is fair? I don't want to be taken advantage of because I am new. I don't feel comfortable asking colleagues or preceptors about their pay rate. Dear Job Seeker: I am ...