In Practice: Reflections from NPs and PAs

October 17th, 2017

Emergency Medicine: A Life of Interruption

Alexandra Godfrey, BSc PT, MS PA-C

Emergency medicine is a life of interruption. Physicians, nurses, PAs, radiology techs, registration clerks: we are all constantly interrupted or interrupting. Unfortunately, interruptions and distractions and the consequent attention shift may lead to error. Sometimes, we fail to return to the original task, make an error in that task, or waste time on less urgent […]

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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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May 18th, 2017

Changing Health Care — Reflections from Across the Pond

Megan Tetlow, PA-C

I’m an American physician assistant living and working for the government-funded National Health Service (NHS) in the U.K. I also write for this blog about the differences between the U.S. and U.K. health systems. I have thus far been moderately successful at avoiding political discussions in the public sphere. But the recent passage of the […]

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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 […]

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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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June 16th, 2016

When Is It A Good Time to Retire?

Scott Cuyjet, RN, MSN, FNP-C

I am only 47 years old, but I have been thinking about retirement. It’s not that I want to retire now, but when is a good time? I have been working for the same company for 17 years, and the idea of spending another 20 years there before reaching retirement age seems daunting. So, how […]

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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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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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