ThriveAP

I’m not a big New Year’s resolution maker.  I fall into the category of your typical make a resolution and forget about it a few days later kind of person.  Even in my not-so-old age I am apparently stuck in my ways.  But, perhaps this year since my blog is young and my nurse practitioner career is still evolving I can make and stick to some career related commitments.

A career in healthcare is, in many ways, a never-ending process of learning and discovery. Patient-care treatment methods certainly advance at lightning speed, requiring continuing education to keep up with the latest technology. There’s always something to learn, which is one reason so many people choose this dynamic, ever-growing field.

Embrace the spirit of spring as an opportunity for professional rejuvenation and acquiring new skills. Spring is often honored as a time of renewal, rebirth, and rejuvenation, both literally and symbolically. And with spring just around the corner, now is the perfect time to reflect on these symbolic themes in terms of professional growth and renewal in medicine—especially for healthcare professi…

What makes a successful nurse practitioner or physician associate? For nurse practitioners and physician associates, the answer lies in striking a balance between autonomy and collaboration.

Every February, the medical community celebrates National Heart Month. Our hearts do so much for us, so it’s important to show them we care! At ThriveAP, we understand how important the heart is to overall health, which is why we offer a comprehensive curriculum dedicated to providing training in general and subspecialty cardiology. For nurse practitioners (NPs) and physician associates (PAs), in…

In a field as physically, mentally, and emotionally demanding as healthcare, the value of holistic self-care cannot be overstated. The practice is especially pertinent for nurse practitioners (NPs) and physician associates (PAs), who often work long hours and care for large numbers of patients with little time off. As hospitals and healthcare providers face staffing shortages and employee burnout…

From Student to Practitioner: Tips for New Advanced Practice Providers Confidence-Boosting Tips for New Advanced Practice Providers Congratulations on reaching this significant milestone in your career! As a newly employed Advanced Practice Provider (APP), you are embarking on an exciting and transformative journey. The transition from student to practitioner is a pivotal period that can shape th…

Driving Your Clinician Career with Passion Featuring Ryan Nadboralski, MSN, FNP-BC, ANP-BC Featured ThriveAP Faculty Discussion: Ryan Nadboralski, MSN, FNP-BC, ANP-BC At ThriveAP we are honored to have an expansive faculty of expert speakers and APPs with impressive credentials and experience. Today we are talking with one of our esteemed faculty members to gain their advice for thriving in an ad…

8 Questions to Ask in a Nurse Practitioner Job Interview The last time I interviewed for a nurse practitioner position, I was hired on the spot. I recall I was asked just one or two questions, handed over my resume, and bam! I was hired. My rapid hiring surprised me given my lack of experience at the time. When I left the interview and recounted the story to family members working in the business…

Top 5 Causes of Nurse Practitioner Burnout Working in healthcare is demanding on many levels from which nurse practitioners are not immune. As with any problem, identifying the cause of the issue is the first step to solving the problem. If you find yourself in the red on the stressed out, burnt out spectrum, the following factors may be contributing to your career dissatisfaction. 1. High Level …

The Lucky 7: Classes of Meds for Pain Management The list goes beyond opioids alone. Pain management is basically a dirty word among nurse practitioners and physician assistants today. We shun patients on long-term pain medications and grow weary of requests for “that medicine that I had that one time – it starts with a ‘D’…”. The opioid problem and our resulting hesitancy to prescribe pain medic…

F.A.Q. About ThriveAP+ Residency Education to practice with a purpose If you’ve considered looking into nurse practitioner residencies, this program deserves a glance. Like to the way Teach for America places teachers in schools with educational needs across the country, ThriveAP+ places nurse practitioners in medically underserved sites nationwide. Here, NPs can improve upon clinical skills in a…

Splinting 101: An NP’s Guide to Immobilization A few months ago, the medical director of the emergency department where I work made a request. He asked that MD’s, NPs and PAs keep an eye on the nurse’s splinting techniques, checking all splints before patients leave the ED. “No problem”, I thought. Well, there was a little problem. While I was quite confident I could spot a shoddy splint job, I h…

4 Key Questions to Help Your Patients Make Lifestyle Changes Recently on the ThriveAP residency program webinar, a speaker discussed the concept of motivational interviewing. In my eight years as a nurse practitioner, I had never been introduced to the topic. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. Midway through her discussion, I had an ‘Aha!’ moment that will make a significant difference in the wa…

5 Tips for Starting Your NP Program Off on the Right Foot If you’re heading into a nurse practitioner program this year, congrats! Making the decision to further your education isn’t an easy one. Your motivation and enthusiasm will take you far as you kick off the semester. Sometimes, however, it can be difficult to stay focused as the school year wears on. To set yourself up for nurse practition…

8 Take-a-Ways from My ThriveAP Experience By Guest Blogger, Alison Katus, MSN, FNP-C - Confidence I was not confident in what to expect in my new workplace. I moved cross-country to my state of birth after graduation. During my clinicals, I happily learned the routine of the rural hospital and, by the end of the year, felt comfortable with patients I saw for a second or even third time. My precep…

5 Ways to Take Advantage of a Slow Day at Work It’s rare that the words “slow day at work” and “nurse practitioner” are used in the same sentence, but occasionally the unexpected and much welcome not so busy day on the job does happen. This past week in the emergency department, unseasonably cold weather seemed to keep patients at bay leaving me a little free time at my desk. This begged the ques…

Why Networking is Important for Nurse Practitioners Every morning I wake up, flip on the coffee pot, and thumb through e-mails on my phone in a relaxed fashion. I have no intention of removing my body from my snuggly sweat pants until at least 9am. I am working, perhaps doing laundry or blogging, or maybe mentally preparing for an all-night shift in the ER, but without the pressures of a traditio…

How Long Will You Feel Overwhelmed as a New Grad Nurse Practitioner? Does new grad nurse practitioner life have you feeling frantic? Overwhelmed? Stressed out? Doubting your career decision? No matter the number of years you have worked as a nurse, or the caliber of the NP program you attended, it’s inevitable that you’ll experience these feelings as you begin your nurse practitioner career. You …

How To Increase Your Value as an Advanced Practice Provider By Guest Blogger Becky Hopfinger, FNP-C As we have heard so many times in the past few months, we are going through unprecedented times with COVID-19. The healthcare model has significantly changed with the pandemic and there is no sign of fully going back to the way that things once were. We are now utilizing different avenues to provid…