Posted by Sean on January 28, 2012
Sometimes it’s very hard to teach an old dog a new trick.
Today I was told by a physician that NPs are simply hired to do all the “scut-work” that physicians don’t want or like to do. In the physician’s words, “You guys do all the crap/garbage stuff we don’t like or have time for. Is that what you really want to do?”
Follow the link and read the whole post. What do you think?
Posted in health, opinion | Tagged: health care, nurse practitioner, nursing school | 4 Comments »
Posted by Sean on November 30, 2011
As I posted earlier, Kim (from Emergiblog) over at Masters in Nursing interviewed me. Here is part 2:
Keep your eye on the prize.
That’s what I told myself during my marathon BSN program.
But there is no prize unless you start the process.
In part 2 of my discussion on graduate nursing education with blogger and Nurse Practitioner student Sean Dent, we talked about the difference between graduate and undergraduate education.
How does grad school differ from undergraduate education?
Be sure to follow the link and read the original post…
Talking MSN: Desire and Discipline | Masters in Nursing Blog
Posted in health, opinion | Tagged: career, education, nurse, nurse practitioner | Leave a Comment »
Posted by Sean on November 28, 2011
Kim over at Emergiblog has recently started blogging for “Masters in Nursing”. She approached me for an interview concerning my thoughts, experiences and views on pursuing an advanced degree in nursing.
In this installment of the interview, we talked about Sean’s motivations for returning to school, the type of program he chose and the characteristics that he found important in choosing his program.
Why did you decide to return to school?
….follow the link below to read the entire blog post!
Posted in health | Tagged: career, education, nurse, nurse practitioner | 1 Comment »
Posted by Sean on October 16, 2011
Doctoring the ‘Doctor’ title?
There has been much scuttlebutt throughout the online health care community. The divisive ‘physician versus advance practice nurse’ debate has gained quite a bit of steam thanks to a recent article by the New York Times titled: When the Nurse Wants to Be Called ‘Doctor’. A great big thank you and ‘shout out’ to the NY Times. I think this conversation needed to continue.
Over the course of the past several days I have been keeping a log of responsive articles (please see the end of this blog post for articles of interest). I have taken an interest to this particular debate, since I am a current Nurse Practitioner student who will eventually hold a Doctorate of Nursing Practice (some years down the road).
I for one do not have a solution (sorry). However, I do feel this debate is based on valid rationale that has gone awry.
Yes, I firmly believe we as practitioners should not mislead our patients. The social stigma and public knowledge that follows the title of ‘Doctor’ can lead one to believe they are in fact a medical doctor, ergo a physician. The reality is that not all ‘Doctors’ are ‘Physicians’. We need to remind ourselves that the PhD has been around for quite a long time, and that there are doctorate degrees in many other health care related disciplines.
To quote Dr. Kevin Pho over at Kevin MD:
“Those who earn a doctorate degree, whether it be in nursing, pharmacy, or psychology, deserve to be called “doctor.” Period.”
So in defense of Nurse Practitioners with their DNP, they are not misrepresenting themselves. They’ve earned the title. But it’s the intention in which the title is used that makes all the difference, in my humble opinion.
Proudly conveying your earned title without proper clarification and intention can easily be mistaken for deception and misdirection. In the original NY Time article the NP introduced herself as ‘doctor’ and followed up with “I’ll be your nurse”. No misdirection there.
I think this is the source of the physician community’s angst, and disapproval. If the NP is making an empty attempt at representing themselves as a physician with their numerous years of education and rigorous training, then yes, I too would be on the defense. Even though I am not a practicing NP (a mere student), I don’t believe there are NP’s out there that would outright misdirect or misrepresent themselves as someone they are not. If they are, then shame on them. They are not only damaging their professional credit and earned title, but they are potentially placing their patients in harms way.
I know in the end, both physicians and advanced practice nurses share the same goal of optimal patient outcomes. Splitting hairs over entitlement and attempting to ‘strip’ someone of a title that have rightfully earned is just a waste of energy and a misuse of vital resources.
Articles of interest:
When the Nurse Wants to be Called ‘Doctor’
Should medical students be introduced as Doctor?
Calling yourself Doctor and what that now means
Universal board certification can solve the Doctor Nurse controversy
A post over at Scrubs that continues the conversation about the newly controversial title.
Posted in health, opinion | Tagged: doctor, nurse practitioner, scrubsmag | 3 Comments »
Posted by Sean on October 6, 2011
Clinical rotation jitters
So, it’s official. This week I became a nursing student doing clinicals (again). This week was my first week walking the halls of a hospital system as a ‘Nurse Practitioner Student’. I must say it was a very eerie feeling (to say the least). I felt like I was back in my diploma program! Here I was (again) sweating bullets over every little detail concerning my participation in nursing ‘clinicals’. The really scary part is the NP program I am in is nice enough to slowly introduce us into this new role by taking baby-steps. This week I simply started an observational experience. So it wasn’t like I was actually required to ‘perform’ any role-specific duties… although it sure felt like it!!!
We are told to wear business casual and our lab coat – what do I wear??
Shoes – I need comfortable business casual shoes! I can’t spend all day on the floors in my tennis shoes or my crocs!
Holy crap! My lab coat. I have to wear a lab coat. Call me crazy, but it was quite surreal to wear the long lab coat.
My name badge – what should it say? What shouldn’t it say? Credentials? No credentials?
These are just some of the ridiculous things I think about. Like I said, it’s only going to get more stressful (readers beware -this is my preemptive warning).
It was also quite surreal to rub shoulders with the physicians, surgeons, physician assistants and nurse practitioners. I honestly had to train my brain to step away from the rigors and responsibilities of bedside care (while rounding on patients) to focus on the decision-making and thought processes of my preceptor (a physician). I need to learn how to start thinking beyond the bedside and develop my advanced assessment and diagnostic skills. I probably expect way too much out of myself this early on, but I feel so overwhelmed with fear it’s honestly indescribable.
How in the world do these advanced health care providers do what they do, in such split-second timing is just awe-inspiring to witness first hand. I never really ‘got it’ when I would round as the bedside nurse. I was focused on my responsibilities and my duties as the bedside nurse (not that there is anything wrong with that!). I didn’t have a real appreciation for the bazillion-and-one things that they have to process in order to make the decisions that need to be made.
Did I mention how terrified I am?
My hope is this fear will turn into gnarling dedication to improvement -otherwise I’m going to fail and fall flat on my face (cynically joking) .
I definitely have to not only step up my ‘game’, but I need to bring my ‘A game’ at all times.
This is going to be a fun semester!
Another post from over at Scrubs.
Posted in health, humor | Tagged: nurse, nurse practitioner, student nurse | Leave a Comment »
Posted by Sean on September 5, 2011
Over at Scrubs I share my experience at my first job fair as an ACNP student! Exciting times lie ahead!
My first job fair
In all my years of professional employment, I’ve never attended a job fair. Not that I wasn’t interested, I’ve just been lucky enough to have a job lined up each time they were appropriate. I already had a job in an ICU 2 months prior to graduating nursing school. I was into my 4th year as an employee when I graduated with my BSN. So up until now they really didn’t make much sense for me.
Fast forward to the present. I’m just completing my first year in my ACNP program with 4 more semesters to go (yes, there is a faint light at the end of the tunnel). While I’m a little bit ahead of slope, I thought I’d attend the job fair that was offered recently just to see what to make of it. I must say, prior to making my way there, I was actually quite nervous?? Not sure why, since I’m not even close to that stage in my new role!
In my current ACNP program we had the unique opportunity to attend a job fair geared for physicians. It seems to be the new trend in health care since the allied health care professionals, sometimes called physician extenders are being utilized more and more in a wide variety of settings (PA’s & NP’s)
It was surreal to be walking amongst the ranks of physicians. Once again I’m still getting used to this new advanced role (not that I’ve even got my hands dirty yet!).
This particular fair you could pre-register and upload your CV and/or resume via their website. They also had the option of bringing them with you.
The fair was a smörgåsbord of gifts, sales pitches, shoulder rubbing and networking! Everything and anything was on the plate. It was a pleasant surprise to see so many recruiters excited and interested in potential Nurse Practitioner hirees! I was overwhelmed by the positive feedback and encouragement all the recruiters showed, not to mention all the cool gadgets and free pens (you know how we nurses like our pens)!
The purpose of me attending a job fair an entire 18 months too early was just to learn what to expect from one of these shindigs, get a sense of what employers are looking for, get my name out there, and ultimately start the career ball rolling as soon as possible.
Mission accomplished.
I learned a couple things about job fairs:
- Come prepared with a sense of what you are looking for. ( I honestly wasn’t)
- Ask and answer as many questions as possible. (ask specifically about the job and all it entails)
- Sign up for any and all lists that are offered – can you say networking?
- Don’t be shy – enjoy the free stuff while it lasts!
- Be careful – some recruiters can be like used-car salesmen/saleswomen (need I explain that one?)
I must say, after this experience I am even more excited to get my hands dirty and jump head first into my advanced practice career. The sky being the limit isn’t just a saying anymore!
Posted in health | Tagged: career, nurse, nurse practitioner, student | 1 Comment »
Posted by Sean on June 10, 2011
While this study is only retrospective and mortality rate was the only measure, it does contribute to this needed conversation about PA’s and NP’s care.
ICU Outcomes No Different Without Physician Staffing | National Nursing News
With ICUs facing staff shortages that are predicted to worsen in the future, a recent study suggests that non-physician providers can help address these deficits.
The study by physicians from Beth Israel Medical Center and Columbia University Medical Center in New York City found no significant differences in hospital mortality or other patient outcomes between high-acuity, adult ICUs staffed by nurse practitioners and physician assistants when compared with those staffed by intensivists or other physicians.
The study included a retrospective review of 590 daytime (7 a.m. to 7 p.m.) admissions to two ICUs at one hospital. Nurse practitioners and physician assistants staffed one of the ICUs during the day, with attending physician coverage overnight. In the other ICU, medical residents were present around the clock.
In addition to patient mortality, the researchers found no significant difference between the two ICUs in ICU length of stay and hospital length of stay. Discharge to a skilled care facility, as opposed to home, also was similar after adjusting for other factors.
The researchers noted that as “the number of ICU beds and demand for intensivists increase, alternative solutions are needed to provide coverage for critically ill patients.”
“Staffing models including daytime use of non-physician providers appear to be a safe and effective alternative to the traditional house staff-based team in a high-acuity, adult ICU,” they concluded
The article appears in the June issue of Chest, the peer-reviewed journal of the American College of Chest Physicians.View the data at http://chestjournal.chestpubs.org/content/139/6/1347.abstract.
ICU Outcomes No Different Without Physician Staffing | National Nursing News
Posted in health | Tagged: ICU, non-physician provider, nurse practitioner | Leave a Comment »
Posted by Sean on February 24, 2011
This is just awesome. I have been keeping my eyes and ears open to how the iPad and my future career were going to play in the same sand box.
The possibilities are just endless.
So glad to see my fellow NP’s taking a lead role in adapting technology.
4. WhiteGlove House Call Health: Prescriptions, Forms, Surveys & Translation
Nurse practitioners at WhiteGlove House Call Health visit patients at work and at home. Since 2010, they’ve also been bringing an iPad along with them. Previously, they used laptops with paper consent-to-treat and end-of-visit surveys, but the iPads have allowed them to go wireless (a demonstration of a visit is pictured above).
“Nurse practitioners use the WhiteGlove platform running on Apple iPads to chart and submit Rx medication orders, review the members’ medical history, complete consent-to-treat forms and enable members to take end-of-visit surveys that are automatically transmitted to corporate when completed,” says Michael Cohen, WhiteGlove’s vice president of marketing. “WhiteGlove’s Nurse Practitioners also use the iPad to translate conversations with members that do not speak English.”
Posted in random | Tagged: eHealth, iPad, nurse practitioner, whiteglove house call health | Leave a Comment »
Posted by Sean on December 16, 2010
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During my entrance into this wonderful profession I can still remember the stress over grades. Most ‘students’ in general want to excel at their studies. So as nursing students we fought for every point on our exams. From the first semester all the way to our senior semester there were certain students that just HAD to get that ‘A’.
I was one of them ‘in the beginning’. As the semesters rolled on I realized that being a competent practitioner was not about the ‘grades’ you got in school. Excelling as a nurse was not about the ‘exams’. What mattered most was how you put it all together for the ‘bigger picture’. That bigger picture was and still is all about your patients.
Does an A student equate to a ‘strong’ nurse?
Does a C student equate to a ‘weak’ nurse?
Nope.
In fact in my experience your ‘grades’ as a student have absolutely no bearing on how you perform your duties as a nurse.
That’s the rub.
You can be a rock star-like student nurse. You can kick @ss and take names on all your exams, your clinical performances and even ‘knock them dead’ when checking off a new ‘skill session’. But none of it will matter once you get out there and practice the art of nursing.
Sure getting the good grades and mastering the material is going to assist you and even make your ‘job’ easier in the beginning (and in the long run some times), but if you can’t apply your knowledge, generate some sharp critical thinking skills and develop a compassion for the people you take care of, you will not succeed as a nurse.
In fact it’s my believe you will fail as a nurse (but that’s another story).
I only bring this to light since I’m back in the saddle again. My first semester as an acute care nurse practitioner student and I’m already caught up in the world of ‘grades’. I’m feeling like a failure if I don’t get the ‘A’, and I really need to stop it.
I need to center myself and be sure to keep my focus on the big picture. I will grasp and master the concepts, but I will not let the ‘grade’ dictate my success.
For all the ‘students’ out there – don’t lose sight of the big picture. In the end, your patient won’t give a damn what your grades were as a student. They will however give a damn about how you care for them.
Posted in health | Tagged: nurse practitioner, student | 8 Comments »
Posted by Sean on November 10, 2010
November 7-13 is National Nurse Practitioner Week. Be sure to recognize, thank and appreciate your fellow colleague and/or health care provider for the care and service they provide.
I grin from ear-to-ear knowing that someday that will be me.
Posted in health | Tagged: nurse practitioner | Leave a Comment »
