BmoreCRNP

Have you ever felt like this? I am having one of those weeks right now, lol. Sometimes I feel that I missed the mark by going the nursing route. I feel that as an NP I don't have the autonomy and respect that I really want. Not only do the docs n...

It really depends on where you end up. Some NPs are being treated like the Doc's servant. Other NPs are a respected member of the team. I'm working in LTC, and that is a very interesting environment to work in. Some MDs are okay towards me, and o...

Hey all, new FNP here. I wanted to know if anyone had some easy or quick tips for diagnosing and treating different types of Anemia. One of the things I'm noticing is that a lot of my patients were placed on iron supplements without really having t...

What you just quoted here seems to address how Advanced Practice Nurses have to identify themselves legally. In your state they use the initials RN/NP to identify Nurse Practitioners. Where I am you have to sign CRNP (certified registered nurse pra...

I rechecked it twice after she came back from the hospital just to make sure. Another reason I think it's the kidneys is because along with the falling H&H, her K+ has gone up and I had to give her Kayexalate for that. Also her GFR dropped. No...

I've noticed, for whatever reason, they don't use PO B12 in the nursing home. I know that unless someone is missing the intrinsic factor in the intestine there's no reason they shouldn't be able to take PO B12 for a deficiency. My personal opinion ...

Well hopefully you won't read the thread I started about this. Mine was more negative! Anyway, like everyone else said, you really have to weigh a number of things and decide what's important to you. You are the only one who can answer that. It w...

Yeah like they said, it depends on the state. I know of some FNPs in other states who are working in the ED, however, they are mostly limited to fast track or minor cases. You really don't get much in the way of managing acute situations in FNP pro...

Glad to see I'm not alone! I was beginning to think I was just stupid! (well not really, but kind of, lol)

The attending MD is involved for the most part. He is on vacation right now, so in the meantime I'm doing some investigation so to speak. I definately will need a more experienced person to help me. If the patient needs something like Procrit or B...

No, and I doubt she will go on dialysis. I work in LTC. Most of these people are not candidates for extensive treatment such as dialysis. She will not likely see a nephrologist, but be managed by myself and the primary doc until she passes away.

I just realized today that the retic count is separate, so I ordered it. The repeat labs showed a lower H&H. I think the Hct went from 29 to 28.4 or something like that in one week. So far the patient is asymptomatic. I'm pretty sure the prob...

Thaks guys, that was very helpful. Like I mentioned in the previous post, she is supposed to have labs drawn again on Monday so that I can continue my investigation. I'll let you know what I find. I might have to add a differential though, because...

The thing is, depending on the region you live in, any RN can bust their butts with overtime and make tons of money. I knew a number of nurses where I used to work in NYC who made close to 200k a year!! How did they do that? Well they basically wo...

This was very helpful to me as well. I work in LTC, and some of my patients have low Calcium. Usually it's in the high 7's to low 8's. In addition to that, a lot of LTC patients have low albumin levels. The dietician is usually the one who deals ...

This is soo true! I would NOT go back to staff nursing for anything! Money simply is not my #1 motivator for anything in my life. It was very important to me that I improve my quality of life, along with furthering my education in order to enter a...

It depends on a few things. The scope of practice is different for NPs and MDs, and this varies by state. NPs are supposed to be competent enough to diagnose and treat common illnesses. As far as the school experience goes, you'll definately have ...

The area around DC tends to be expensive, especially if you want to live in nicer areas. To the west of DC are Bethesda and Potomac, both of which are very expensive. To the north are Silver Spring, Takoma Park, and Hyatsville, to name a few. To t...

Well I have mostly PACU experience. The assessment skills, some of the meds, and dealing with acute problems helped me somewhat. Also, being exposed to patients with different chronic illnesses and being familiar with how those illnesses present, t...

It's possible you started with a virus that caused an exacerbation of your asthma. This is very common. If you went to minute clinic I can tell you that they have a philosophy about over-prescribing antibiotics. Also, there is no way to really kno...

I was going to say the same thing you said. I always go by the TSH. I am in LTC, so my situation is unique in that many of my patients can't tell me when they "feel" hyper/hypothyroid. Even if they could, I doubt I would adjust the dosage based on...

See I actually agree with you and disagree with those who said "respect needs to be earned." I think that philosophy is total BS and part of the reason we can't keep nurses! You should give respect because people deserve it because they are HUMAN. ...

I had the same problem when I first started in 1996. There were hiring freezes in many hospitals in NYC at the time. Some hospitals that were hiring new grads didn't want RNs with AS degrees! I didn't find a job until 1 1/2 years after graduating, ...

One other reason is to time when the next void should take place (usually 6-8hrs). Like someone mentioned, urinary retention can be a problem with anesthesia, especially if the paralytics have been used.

No I had 13 years of nursing experience before I started working as an NP. I can't speak for those NPs that chose to go the BSN-MSN route without prior experience. I personally don't recommend it, but everyone has a different opinion.