In Practice: Reflections from NPs and PAs

August 3rd, 2017

“As I Lay Dying” — Patient Readmission and Non-Compliance

Alexandra Godfrey, BSc PT, MS PA-C

As I tie the last knot in a neat row of nine sutures, the night nurse calls me to room two. I  drop my hemostats, peel off my gloves, and tell my patient I will be back. Across the hall, I find a girl thrashing around the gurney, chest heaving up and down, hands clasped around her […]

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July 26th, 2017

When a Child Receives Care at a non-Children’s Hospital

Emily F. Moore, RN, MSN, CPNP-PC, CCRN

In a recent post, I wrote about my niece’s episode of appendicitis. Another part of that story relates to her post-op course. When my sister first called asking my advice on whether or not her daughter needed to be treated, I didn’t specify where she should take her. She ended up going to a general […]

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June 27th, 2017

Bring Back the Letter of Condolence

Harrison Reed, PA-C

I don’t remember the first time I watched someone die. I don’t remember the second or third time either. But I know it happened when I was 24 years old, and I know that, afterward, I went home, ate dinner, and went to sleep. The next morning I woke up, put on a clean pair […]

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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 […]

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May 31st, 2017

Curing the Toxic Culture: First, Honor Thy Patient

Harrison Reed, PA-C

In March I wrote a blog post for In Practice that detailed some of the devastating effects of a toxic workplace culture. It’s worth a read, but the main points are easily summarized: abusive environments in medicine affect nearly every aspect of professional performance and hurt both businesses and patients. They lead to lower productivity, […]

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May 11th, 2017

Leaving Against Medical Advice (AMA): A Clinician’s Dilemma

Alexandra Godfrey, BSc PT, MS PA-C

“You’ll have to sign out against medical advice (AMA) . Your blood pressure is high.” The ER physician stood in the doorway of my room. “What difference would it make now?” I asked. The doctor fiddled with the cuffs of his white coat, then glanced at his cell phone. I picked up my car keys. “High blood pressure is dangerous,” […]

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May 5th, 2017

Deep Brain Stimulation Targeting in Neurosurgery, Part III of III

Bianca Belcher, MPH, PA-C

This is the final part of a three-part series on deep brain stimulation (DBS) targeting designed for providers who lack an intimate level of knowledge and/or experience with this subject matter. In Part I, I discussed the ventralis intermedius (Vim) target as well as an overview of DBS, equipment, and programming, and Part II covered the […]

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April 27th, 2017

Getting Worked Up Over Kids’ Fevers

Emily F. Moore, RN, MSN, CPNP-PC, CCRN

Few things worry a mother more than a baby with a fever. With my own girls, I am naturally uneasy and do not like when they have fevers, even though as a health care provider I know that fevers are natural. But it wasn’t until my three-year-old started having chronic fevers that I realized how […]

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April 21st, 2017

Brainstorm: Are Subarachnoid Hemorrhages Affected by the Weather?

Harrison Reed, PA-C

When I walked into the ICU and stared at the roster of current patients, my jaw hit the floor. “Ho-lee cow,” I said as I scanned the list of diagnoses. The entire unit was full of patients with hemorrhages in their skulls. “Yeah, man.” The physician finishing the previous night’s shift leaned back in his chair. “Didn’t […]

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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 […]

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