In Practice: Reflections from NPs and PAs

January 20th, 2016

4 Indirect Ways Outpatient PAs Can Contribute to Practice Growth

Bianca Belcher, MPH, PA-C

In many clinical practices PAs are integral members of the patient care team. We round. We order and interpret labs and imaging. We assist in the OR. We see patients in clinic. We contribute significantly day to day to make sure we provide the best care possible, and we formulate bonds with our patients and […]

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January 13th, 2016

Off to the Races — Maximizing the PA Role to Fill Healthcare Gaps

Charity Maniates, MSPA, MPH, PA-C

What do you want to be when you grow up? It’s a question we hear from childhood, innocent but underscored with pressure to have a life plan by the age of 18. Realistically, it’s a journey of many experiences, successes and failures that lead individuals to gratifying careers. My first career choice as a 10-year-old […]

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January 6th, 2016

Good, Then Fast

Harrison Reed, PA-C

“I hate to say it, but in this job it’s better to be fast than good.” And I hate to hear it. I hate that, as the years go by, it’s a concept that seems to grow in popularity. I hate that the people saying it have been working much longer than me. I should respect […]

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December 9th, 2015

Be a Quality Preceptor: Our Legacy Depends On It

Bianca Belcher, MPH, PA-C

In 2010, there were 146 accredited physician assistant (PA) programs in the United States. Today, we have 200 and that number continues to grow annually. I see this rapid growth as a double-edged sword. On the one hand, physician assistants fill a crucial role in the healthcare team delivering high-quality care to patients — so […]

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December 2nd, 2015

A Melange of Medications

Charity Maniates, MSPA, MPH, PA-C

It’s unavoidable — treating the frail, confused, 80 year-old patient with congestive heart failure, atrial fibrillation, type 2 diabetes mellitus and chronic kidney disease in your office, emergency department, or hospital ward. In geriatrics, often acute presentations are the result of harmful medical interactions, resulting in falls, toxicity, delirium, or acute kidney injury. Over time, many […]

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November 25th, 2015

Looking and Finding

Harrison Reed, PA-C

Harrison Reed, PA-C, practices emergency medicine in Las Vegas, NV. I sat in the bulky padded chair and eyed the mechanical gadgetry around me. “What did you say this was for?” I tried to not sound confrontational, but there must be some deformity of my vocal cords that makes it hard. “It’s called a CT scanner,” the […]

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November 12th, 2015

Towards a Better Understanding of the Advanced Practice Provider’s Role

Scott Cuyjet, RN, MSN, FNP-C

Recently, a registered nurse was demeaned for wearing a stethoscope in a beauty pageant by some who believe it is an instrument solely for use by doctors. Hopefully the consequent backlash resulted in educating the general public that it is a tool used by many in the medical profession. It was nice to see many […]

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November 4th, 2015

What Should “PA” Stand For?

Bianca Belcher, MPH, PA-C

Bianca Belcher, MPH, PA-C, practices neurosurgery in Boston, MA. In the past few years, the charge to rename our profession from “physician assistant” to “physician associate” has gained momentum. Although a name change would not alter the scope of what PAs do on a day-to-day basis, the argument is that it might better inform our […]

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October 28th, 2015

Much Ado About a Fall

Charity Maniates, MSPA, MPH, PA-C

Charity Maniates, MSPA, MPH, PA-C practices geriatric medicine in Maine. At 3:00 AM the pager furiously buzzes on my bedside table, jolting me out of sleep. I grapple with my iPhone and call the nursing facility to address the emergency. The nurse brightly reports that a patient had a fall without injury — her third […]

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October 20th, 2015

I Was Raised on a Zebra Farm

Harrison Reed, PA-C

Harrison Reed, PA-C, practices emergency medicine in Las Vegas, NV. I was raised on a zebra farm. Maybe you were, too. And while that’s a whimsical place to grow up, it doesn’t reflect the real world. Our teachers told us that hoofbeats belonged to horses, but everywhere we went they showed us zebras. Those were the […]

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