Are you curious?  I am. I think it makes me a better NP.  I am curious about  how health care works in other countries and  how they utilize NP's.  The last trip I organized was to Cuba and this Fall I am leading another group. I can't tell you where yet, it isn't finalized but I can tempt you a bit.

The country we will visit is highly rated by the W.H.O. in terms of quality of health care they deliver. They are rated way above the US. The NP role  there is well established. Culturally,  they are very different than the US and they have great food, culture, art, architecture and a rich history....

Want to join us? It will involve learning in a variety of ways - some online ahead of travel, a panel discussion with their NPs and a networking session after, visits to health care facilities, lectures, visit to a college of nursing and much more... If you are a DNP student, this could earn you scholarly hours for cultural immersion. (Ask me for more...

Ryan is sitting it out on the side lines. It’s a bit chilly and he’s been coughing all morning and now he doesn’t have the energy to play. Ashley’s parents just got divorced and her Dad bought her a puppy at his house and her mother if furious. Brian’s mom just lost her job and is changing insurance again and she isn’t sure his asthma meds will be covered.

These are the everyday situations that pediatric patients and their families are dealing with when it comes to asthma. These are the challenges that can make or break an asthma plan that NPs have to work with to keep their patients in school, in the game and out of the ED.

To help make you and your patients with asthma breath easier, you need to be up to date with the latest evidence based guidelines for asthma management in the out patient setting and you need help to develop effective strategies to cope with the everyday effects of this disease. Learn which meds to start when and how a...

I saw this recently on social media and realized this is why I get a flu shot every year. I actually started in 1976 because in 1975 I was an RN working in an ICU in Boston and I got the swine flu, along with half our ICU staff. I was so sick and miserable. But the real problem was, I was working in a very specialized ICU, a pediatric orthopedic ICU. Nobody wanted to float to our ICU. Every try to rotate a patient on a Stryker frame who is also  intubated on a respirator, with multiple IV's, central line and Foley catheter? It was so difficult for the staff who didn't get the flu and frankly, I felt guilty and pressured to come back to work sooner than I should have.

I've heard all the reasons people don't get flu shots, even health professionals. And I try very hard to connect with my patients and colleagues and say we are all on the same side here, we want to prevent flu morbidity and mortality. And I can give them chapter and verse about evidence based practice but what...

"I would love to work for myself. I don't have  a lot of experience running a business. I don't have a lot of money to start a business. I don't want to have to deal with the stress of billing, coding, credentialing and managing office staff. I'm not sure I could figure out how to have a cash only practice that works. Actually, I wouldn't mind having a part time business. Is this possible.?" 

Oh yes, it is certainly is. 

The key to running a successful NP business is find a niche that answers a community problem and fits you. My niche actually found me. As an avid traveler, my primary care patients would ask me about their trips, their kid's trips, their parent's trips. And I realized a couple of things....

First ,I wanted out after 30 years of running my own primary care practice. The administrative burdens, health care crisis and future uncertainties, never mind the long hours, billing, coding and management issues and all the  things that were taking...

Did you know that the majority of all travelers are over age 55?  I am seeing more and more people 85 and over taking trips to China, India and many other locales far away. Many of those I see are quite fit and healthy. Some, not so much...

I work in a travel clinic , so  I am  often seeing these patients for the first time. But if you work in primary care, the older traveler will likely be well known to you. Whether you provide full pretravel care or not, you play an important role in keeping your patient safe and healthy when they travel.

1. Make sure their routine adult immunizations are up to date, especially flu vaccines.

  2. Be sure their chronic health problems aren't just stable but optimized. The stress physically and mentally of travel pose unique effects on many chronic diseases.

 3.  Make sure they have a med list, a problem list and travel health insurance with emergency evacuation for care if needed abroad.

Interested in learning more...

Did you know that there is a new shingles vaccine available? It's called Shingrix and it is being shipped now to pharmacies and providers. 

So why do we have a new vaccine? 

• It's more effective
• It's approved for those 50 and older
• Private insurance will cover it for those 50-64
• It's easier to store - only needs refrigeration 

You'll be getting a lot of questions about this new vaccine and so Beacon Continuing Education made a free video to answer the most important things you need to know about Shingrix, now.

It will take about 5 minutes and you'll be up to speed to start preventing shingles and post herpetic neuralgia. Remember that most people with post herpetic neuralgia use opioids , so that everything you do to prevent it will reduce opioid use and potential abuse, too. 

 Watch the free video now.

I remember what it felt like when I got my nursing pin. I remember my first day of clinical and my very first patient. I remember that feeling I got in the pit of my stomach when a code was called. Mixing IV fluids, doing divided doses for narcotics on paper and having another nurse sign off on my math. Mixing chemotherapy (usually methotrexate) and doing narcotic count at the end of every shift. Adding up I and O's manually. Calibrating IV burettes every hour or sooner. I remember the first patient I had that died, a child and I wasn't even 20 yet myself. I remember having a patient with a fever and rash admitted on Friday and when I came back to work on Monday that eight year old was deaf and brain damaged from measles.

I remember thinking that we were practicing the most scientific and advanced level of nursing care, with the most sophisticated equipment. And back over 40 years ago, we were. If someone had asked me then, what would nursing look like 40 years in the  future,...

NP's are struggling to keep up with continuing education, CE as we are constantly learning to improve our skills.  Most CE  is offered in large chunks at single or  multi day live conferences. It's like being force fed an incredible amount of information. How much do you remember? How much do you apply to your practice? Are most of your CE programs clinical information? What about learning to improve communication, learning, empathy, compassion and avoiding burnout?  Can learning new things outside your role, your job, your organization and even your profession make you a better, more fulfilled NP? Can this type of knowledge bring fresh perspective and help improve patient care? 

Self Improvement and Self Awareness

Professionalism goes beyond nursing knowledge. It stretches to self improvement, self awareness, and improved listening and communication skills. It results in better leadership skills. To live life to the fullest, we must...

Going to volunteer on a medical service trip for a week or two? There is so much to plan and pack. After doing several of these trips to the Dominican Republic and Nicaragua, here are my top 10 tips to help you be better prepared.

1. Bring a hat (ideally a foldable one) and a bandanna. 
2. Small packages of personal wet wipes. Clean up and freshen up when it's hot and humid.
3. Take a picture of your passport, credit card (front and back) that you are traveling with, where you are staying, immunization record, location of embassy, etc. Keep on camera roll or email to yourself.
4. Bring snacks like peanut butter, crackers, granola, instant oatmeal, favorite teas,   etc. Store all in zip lock bags. 
5. Buy cheap scrubs at discount stores. Leave them behind. 
6. Pack extra shoes, glasses, contact lenses. 
7. Bring an inexpensive travel rain poncho. 
8. Women should bring pads or tampons and leave what you don't use behind. 
9. Don't forget a deck of cards, books, your...

There are four shots that every NP needs to know about to protect adults.  Every visit is an opportunity to check every adult's immunization status. It's as important as checking their vital signs. 

1. Influenza vaccines - While I bet this is no surprise,  most adults in the US are not properly immunized for influenza. You probably think to advise it for those over 65 but by immunizing all adults 18 and over, you are not only protecting your patient but decreasing influenza in your community better protecting vulnerable populations.

2. Pneumococcal vaccines- There are 2 different pneumococcal vaccines for adults over 65 but certain high risk adult populations need them sooner.

3. Tdap - One dose of Tdap is recommended once for all adults and then Td booster every 10 years thereafter unless they get a tetanus prone wound and  then they need a booster if it has been more than 5 years . Any adult who is around young children should receive a Tdap vaccine....