November 1st, 2017
Medical Trick-or-Treat
Elizabeth Donahue, RN, MSN, NP-C
It’s one of my favorite times of year. The colors of the leaves are changing, there is a crisp feel to the air, and it’s Halloween time. The candy aisles are decimated, kids have donned their costumes and hit their preplanned routes or parties, and even some of the grown-ups have dressed up and managed […]
September 29th, 2017
I’ll Take “Nursing Ethics” for $200, Alex
Elizabeth Donahue, RN, MSN, NP-C
First I noticed it all over my social media feed — the story of Alex Wubbels, a burn unit nurse at a university hospital in Utah who was arrested and manhandled by police for not allowing them to take a sample of blood from an unconscious patient without a warrant. Then came a slew of […]
August 17th, 2017
Primary Care’s Got Talent
Elizabeth Donahue, RN, MSN, NP-C
There is one hour each day in the office that I refer to as the “golden hour” – from 6:30 to 7:30, either AM or PM. For the sake of my personal life, most days I aim to be at my desk for one of those two slots but not both. During this time, I’m usually […]
July 20th, 2017
Needing a Vacation after your Vacation? Primary Care Providers Feel the Same!
Elizabeth Donahue, RN, MSN, NP-C
I just finished a week of vacation and, truth be told, I’m seated at a bar on this particular Sunday night seriously considering early retirement. Small problem being, at the tender age of 34, it’s probably a little too soon for this to be a feasible option. I’m trying to figure out how to make […]
June 15th, 2017
Educating Patients About HPV Vaccination Can Feel Like Peddling Snake Oil
Elizabeth Donahue, RN, MSN, NP-C
Messaging and medicine have always gone hand in hand. A Google search for wellness products of yesteryear produces a vibrant collection of ads for lotions and potions. Cod liver oil, hair tonics, and other extracts (including opium!) were promised to keep you feeling healthy and looking great. And using medical professionals to bolster product claims has long been popular in […]
April 14th, 2017
Is There an NP on Board?
Elizabeth Donahue, RN, MSN, NP-C
It was a moment I’d anticipated for nearly 7 years — not with excitement, but with dread. Two weeks ago, I boarded a plane, having won the lottery known as the standby list. Due to heavy wind, all flights were departing from a single runway and because of delays, the airline had thrown in a […]
March 8th, 2017
Planning for End-of-Life Care: Patients and Providers Working Together
Elizabeth Donahue, RN, MSN, NP-C
I was sitting alone in a parking lot last Tuesday, waiting to meet one of my undergraduate students and her nursing preceptor for a hospice home visit. Little did I know, sitting there in my car, that I would not make it to that visit; instead I was redirected by a phone call to the […]
February 2nd, 2017
From Leogane to Longwood: How Different Are Our Patients?
Elizabeth Donahue, RN, MSN, NP-C
When I worked in family medicine, I considered my practice to have two very distinct patient populations — the pediatric population I served from their birth to adolescence and the adult population — each with a very different set of needs. Now that my practice has changed and I care exclusively for patients over age […]
December 22nd, 2016
A Lesson in Hospitality
Elizabeth Donahue, RN, MSN, NP-C
A couple of weeks ago I was wandering through the centuries-old walled city of Assisi in the central region of Italy. I was lost in the quaintness of the cobblestone streets, the piazzas, the fountains … and then curiously interested in the oldest thing I had ever seen up until that point (having not yet […]
November 16th, 2016
Before You Do Anything Else, Take a Deep Breath
Elizabeth Donahue, RN, MSN, NP-C
Exactly one week ago I arrived at my office in a stupor that it seemed even my favorite coffee shop could not fix. I had not slept more than two hours the night before, and on top of being tired, I was emotional. I had spent too much time in the wee hours of the […]
NP/PA Bloggers
Elizabeth Donahue, RN, MSN, NP‑C
Alexandra Godfrey, BSc PT, MS PA‑C
Emily F. Moore, RN, MSN, CPNP‑PC, CCRN
Advanced practice clinicians treating patients in a variety of settings and specialties
Learn more about In Practice: Reflections from NPs and PAs.
