In Practice: Reflections from NPs and PAs

September 14th, 2016

Service Industry

Harrison Reed, PA-C

“You little clown,” A fleck of saliva flew from his mouth with each word. “Are you making a joke?” The back of my neck grew hot as I sweltered under the man’s glare. He had arrived to the airport hours before his scheduled flight dragging his wife and three kids, depleted from a week at Disney […]

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August 18th, 2016

The Caregiver Conundrum

Charity Maniates, MSPA, MPH, PA-C

My patient’s daughter, Jane, sits tensely on the edge of the wingback chair. Leaning forward slightly, her body, like a jack-in-the-box, stays seated, and she fires the question, “Do you really think my mother is ready to come home? Is this safe?” Rippling beneath her intense body language and direct questioning is a pervasive fear that […]

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August 10th, 2016

Playing Victim

Harrison Reed, PA-C

You are sick of hearing it, but we need to talk about this one more time. By the end you might be angry or frustrated; you might even hate me a little. That’s OK. It’s worth it. America’s opioid epidemic is nothing less than a crisis. I could bury you under CDC statistics but I think […]

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August 3rd, 2016

It Takes a Village

Elizabeth Donahue, RN, MSN, NP-C

The Democratic National Convention is taking place at the time I’m writing this blog post. During an opening speech last night, the current First Lady referenced this phrase made popular by a former First Lady: “it takes a village.” I’ll pause here to say that I’m not going to get political in this blog — […]

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July 27th, 2016

School Schedules Make for Sleepy Teens

Scott Cuyjet, RN, MSN, FNP-C

As high school students wind down their summers, I am reminded of a study I read last year from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), which concluded that most students at middle and high schools start their school day too early. Their early start times were disrupting their natural sleep pattern and subsequently leading to […]

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June 22nd, 2016

Gun Violence — A Public Health Crisis

Elizabeth Donahue, RN, MSN, NP-C

Often, in a primary care office, it can feel as though we are providing care within a “bubble” of sorts. Appointments are made within the hours of operation of the office, scripts are followed by all levels of staff in obtaining information, and often chief complaints are worked up using the same pattern: obtaining a […]

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May 12th, 2016

Birth Control Without Rx: Will Women Get the Care They Need?

Scott Cuyjet, RN, MSN, FNP-C

A new law went into effect in California on April 1 that enables women to receive a birth control prescription from a pharmacist. A similar law has been in effect in Oregon since the beginning of the year, but there is a significant difference between the two states’ laws. According to an article by The […]

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April 13th, 2016

How Do You Treat an Epidemic?

Elizabeth Donahue, RN, MSN, NP-C

I have been in my current clinical role — an NP primary care provider carrying my own panel — for almost a year now. Opening a new practice and introducing such a role has many challenges; one of these is the influx of new patients — specifically, obtaining histories and making treatment decisions for patients […]

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March 10th, 2016

State Limits — Care Without Boundaries

Elizabeth Donahue, RN, MSN, NP-C

Earlier this week, at a social gathering of several nurse colleagues, I found myself in a corner of the kitchen, conveniently located closest to the homemade mango cupcakes, where I began a conversation about a possible career move with a friend who has been a hospitalist and geriatric NP for the last 5 years. Ellen is […]

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February 18th, 2016

The Human-Centered Alternative

Charity Maniates, MSPA, MPH, PA-C

My 19-month-old son wrapped his legs around my waist and pointed to the fluorescent ceiling light centered over the small hospital bed. I noticed the tiny hospital gown and socks in plastic packaging waiting to be opened. A brightly colored stacking toy sat on the window sill next to the computer and piped-in gas lines. […]

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