CATEGORY: Blog

It has been one year of Confessions of a Nurse Practitioner and it has been a fantastic journey. It’s been successful and amazing mainly because of your support and feedback. I have learned so much along this journey and plan to continue to serve in this capacity. Over the course of this first year, I have published 45 blog posts including this one! That is nearly double the anticipated goal of 26 posts as my goal was to post every two weeks. I am happy to have exceeded that goal tremendously! Let’s take a look at the top 12 posts...

If you are reading this then you have the biggest blessing imaginable to be thankful for considering all that happened in 2020. You did not die in a helicopter or plane crash. You were not another black man or woman who lost your life due to racism or police brutality. You survived the “murder hornets”. You did not die from colon cancer or any other cancer. And most obviously, you did not succumb to the homicidal viral maniac that is COVID-19. That biggest blessing is life. If you are reading this, you have crossed over to 2021 and you are...

I love music and I have been known to break out in a song during a conversation when someone says something that reminds me of song lyrics or if the conversation reminds me of a song period. At work, one of the nurses always jokes about me making a “CCTHENP playlist” and I have been known to get a little carried away with my singing when I think no one is listening. Ha! Whoever came up with the saying of “I love Jesus and trap music” must have been reading my mind because that pretty much sums up my music...

Dumpster fire. Toilet bowl. The worst ever. Crap pot. The end of the world. The wrath of God. The disaster. The year that went to you know where. These sentiments and more I have heard to describe the year that is 2020. Just when you think things cannot get any worse, 2020 manages to prove you wrong, right? Well, if you feel this way, I would like to challenge this thought. Although 2020 has been wrought with more challenges than I could have ever imagined, there have been some personal victories in 2020. I will share some of my highlights....

Is an apple the same as an orange? That is what it sounds like when I am asked if a nurse practitioner is a physician or the same as a physician? Though the apple and the orange are both fruits, the paths to becoming a particular fruit are different. The same goes for nurse practitioners and physicians. The paths are different as one is achieved via a nursing continuum, usually a continuation of the nursing continuum. The other a medical continuum. It is important to note that most nurse practitioners worked as a registered nurse prior to pursuing additional education....

I didn’t grow up saying, I want to be a nurse practitioner. To be honest, I had no idea that there was such a career. What I did know is that I wanted to be in healthcare. I wanted to help people. I loved science. I loved medical stuff. I thought that I wanted to be a doctor until I decided that I wanted to be a nurse. (Why I Became a Nurse) Then I was determined to be a nurse practitioner. See Why I Became a Nurse Practitioner. In order to become a nurse practitioner, the registered nurse must...

I was pregnant during my final year of nurse practitioner school and set to deliver after graduation. I waddled along completing my residency during my final semester. The finish line was in reach and my hard work was paying off. Interestingly enough, my OB/GYN was gracious enough to let me precept with her during my pregnancy. In case you are wondering, yes, I was pregnant taking care of other pregnant ladies. This made for great conversations and interactions during patient visits. Anyway, I had it all planned out. I was looking forward to graduation on Saturday, December 15th. I had...

Few things make my heart beam with pride more than a satisfied patient. As a nurse practitioner, I am faced with patients who sometimes feel out of sorts when it comes to understanding my role. The extremes go from “Oh great, I saw a nurse practitioner at my family doctor’s office before! She was so nice and spent so much time with me. She is the only one I want to see now when I go to the office!” to “Uh oh, the nurse practitioner, I don’t want to see the nurse practitioner. Where’s the doctor?” The confusion seems to...