In Practice: Reflections from NPs and PAs

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 […]

---

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 […]

---

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 […]

---

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 […]

---

September 8th, 2016

Seasons of Healthcare

Elizabeth Donahue, RN, MSN, NP-C

Here in New England, the temperatures have started to dip in the evenings and the sun is setting earlier by the day. These changes are noted and commented upon during exchanges in coffee shops, the local market, and literally over the water cooler in my office. And this past weekend, my family, friends, and I […]

---

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 — […]

---

June 29th, 2016

The Specialty Shuffle

Harrison Reed, PA-C

People tell me new things about my profession all the time. Forbes magazine loves to periodically declare it the best career in the country or the world or the universe, depending on the article. I find it hard to believe the people who write about money all day had time to sample every career before […]

---

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 […]

---

May 18th, 2016

The Nurse In Me

Elizabeth Donahue, RN, MSN, NP-C

Just last week, healthcare organizations around the country celebrated National Nurses Week. This tradition has been in place in various forms in the U.S. since the 1970s. It is capped off on the 12th of May each year because that is the birth date of Florence Nightingale, the British nurse whose observations and interventions while […]

---

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 […]

---