Real World NP

What could be causing your patient’s lower limb numbness? And more importantly – how do you figure it out?

This week, we’ll talk about some strategies to help narrow down the cause of your patient’s symptoms, share some clinical pearls, some assessment techniques that can point you in the right direction (FAST), and more:

✅ The most essential history questions to ask

✅ Special questions just for lower limb numbness

✅ A quick assessment that will rule in or rule out a variety of causes

✅ Where to focus your physical exam for best results

✅ Common causes of lower limb numbness, and what you definitely want on your differential

Like so many other things in the clinical setting, assessing and managing lower limb numbness does get easier with practice. Having some pointers will also help to speed that process up and boost your confidence as a provider.

If you liked this post, also check out:

• Diagnostic Approach to Dizziness
• Diabetes Management For New Nurse Practitioners
• High TSH Levels: Lab Interpretation For New Grad NPs

Read the blog post here.

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Don't forget to grab your free Ultimate Resource Guide for the New NP

Sign up for the Lab Interpretation Crash Course

Grab your copy of the Digital NP Binder 

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Please note: This episode is intended only for medical providers and students learning to be medical providers. 

© 2022 RealWorld NP. For educational and informational purposes only, see realworldnp.com/disclaimer for full details.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With the most recent global Monkeypox outbreak in May of this year, there’s been a lot of confusion among patients and providers about treatment options and vaccination.

With about 7,000 cases in the United States as of this recording, luckily the treatment options are starting to become more available. As I mentioned in the first episode of this series, thus far the treatments and vaccines have been only available through the Strategic National Stockpile, a government supply created to prepare for outbreaks. However, we’re starting to see more availability as the weeks go on.

If you haven’t already watched the last episode about Monkeypox Overview Part 1, definitely go back and check it out!

In this week’s episode, we cover:

✅ Who needs treatment (and who doesn’t)

✅ The two main categories of treatments

✅ What vaccines are available

✅ Antiviral treatment options

✅ Where to access treatments

Luckily, the vast majority of patients will have mild, self-limited illnesses, but it is helpful to understand all the treatment options out there so you can confidently answer patients’ questions and connect patients to treatment who need it.

If you liked this video, also check out:

• Monkeypox part 1 video
• Monkeypox Patient education video
• Syphilis Laboratory Diagnosis for New Nurse Practitioners

Read the blog post here.

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Please note: This episode is intended only for medical providers and students learning to be medical providers. 

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© 2022 Real World NP. For educational and informational purposes only, see realworldnp.com/disclaimer for full details.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Monkeypox has been confusing and scary for a number of patients, especially on the heels of the Covid pandemic that we’re still facing. Even though we usually make videos for primary care providers, we decided to make this episode, especially for patients, to help clear up some confusion for them, as well as show clinicians an example of how we have these conversations with our patients.

In this episode, we answer the questions:

• What is Monkeypox?
• What the symptoms are and how bad are they?
• Who is getting this and why?
• Will I die from this?
• How does it spread?
• Is there a vaccine and who gets it?

For any patients watching, please seek out medical care from your primary care providers. This episode is for educational purposes only, is not medical advice, and we cannot advise individual people on their health concerns!

Here is where you can find out further information:

👉 Safe sex guidance from the CDC

👉 How it spreads from the CDC

👉 FAQs for patients from the CDC

If you liked this post, also check out:

• Monkeypox For Nurse Practitioners - Part 1
• Monkeypox Treatment For Nurse Practitioners - Part 2
• HSV Diagnosis For Nurse Practitioners

Read the blog post here.

Please note: This episode is intended only for medical providers and students learning to be medical providers. 

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© 2022 Real World NP. For educational and informational purposes only, see realworldnp.com/disclaimer for full details.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

**ERROR UPDATE** I mistakenly said that cotton swabs can be used but it's ONLY synthetic swabs for monkeypox testing!! Link for testing instructions here.

Monkeypox has been confusing and scary for patients and providers alike, especially on the heels of the Covid pandemic that we’re still facing. The WHO named it a public health emergency and global outbreak, as has the CDC, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s as scary as it sounds.

At the time of this episode, there have been about 7,000 cases in the US, predominantly in patients who are cis-male and have sex with other cis-males (MSM), although this is a virus that can affect any patient. It’s not sexually transmitted, as has been reported in the news (misinformation). 

Even though any person can be infected with monkeypox, we need to make sure that the most vulnerable populations are getting the access to care, education, and support they need-- at the current time means especially our patients who are men who have sex with men.

In this episode, we cover:

• Key background information you need to know
• Symptoms & Diagnosis
• Transmission of Monkeypox & Infection control
• Differential Diagnosis
• Approach to testing
• Overview of treatment

Check out the links we referenced in this episode for images of monkeypox on a variety of skin tones and stages, and link to phone numbers of the departments of public health by state.

CDC images of monkeypox

Department of public health numbers

Further information from the CDC for medical providers is here

Read the blog post here.

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Please note: This episode is intended only for medical providers and students learning to be medical providers. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Paps. How can such a common primary care intervention cause so much confusion? How often to screen, how to understand any findings that are not black and white, how to advise your patient about next steps – you would not be the first NP to feel overwhelmed with abnormal pap results in your inbox.

This week, we’ll take some of the mystery out of this challenging clinical topic, and help you understand the main points that will guide your treatment. We’ll talk about:

✅ Current guidelines, and how they apply to your patient, (and our favorite plug-and-play tool to make interpreting pap results super easy!)

✅ The role of HPV in understanding pap results

✅ Next steps for the patient with an abnormal pap result

✅ Colposcopies, LEEPs, advanced sampling – what they are and how to explain them to your patient

✅ Pro tips for interpreting results and guiding your patient 

It’s true that even seasoned providers get stumped trying to navigate abnormal pap results. With time, practice, and a few tools in your toolbox, you will get more clarity on interpreting abnormal pap results and knowing the right next steps for your patient.    

If you liked this post, also check out:

✨ Interview with a Women's Health Nurse Practitioner

✨ Diagnostic Approach to Abnormal Uterine Bleeding

✨ IUD Counseling for New Nurse Practitioners

Read the blog post here.

Don't forget to grab your free Ultimate Resource Guide for the New NP at https://www.realworldnp.com/guide

Sign up for the Lab Interpretation Crash Course: https://www.realworldnp.com/labs 

Grab your copy of the Digital NP Binder: https://www.realworldnp.com/binder

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Whether you are a brand-new NP or you have been practicing for a while, the AANP has likely done something that has made your job easier. 

But what does the AANP actually do and how does it work?

In this special one-on-one interview with Stephen Ferrara, President-elect of the AANP, we got the opportunity to ask him questions from the Real World NP community.

We talked about:

✅ What AANP is (and what it isn’t)

✅ How the NP educational system works

✅ Key differences between medical and NP education and how it’s related to AANP

✅ Current issues facing our profession

✅ The goals Stephen has as the new president-elect of AANP

Join us and learn about the AANP’s current and upcoming initiatives; some of their possible solutions to the challenge of finding a preceptor; some of the barriers to NP practice that are on their radar, and – maybe most importantly – how you can get involved, how the AANP can help you as an NP, and how you can help others in our profession. 

If You Liked This Post, Also Check Out:

• Interview Episodes Collection 
• Career Resource Episodes Collection
• How to Delegate Effectively As A New NP

Read the blog post here.

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Don't forget to grab your free Ultimate Resource Guide for the New NP at https://www.realworldnp.com/guide

Sign up for the Lab Interpretation Crash Course: https://www.realworldnp.com/labs 

Grab your copy of the Digital NP Binder: https://www.realworldnp.com/binder

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Depression in the primary care setting – super common. With a shortage of mental health providers and increasing numbers of patients with symptoms, depression is becoming a leading primary care health concern. If you feel unsure or unprepared for these patient encounters, you are in the right place.

This week, we’re taking some of the mystery out of working with patients with depression in the primary care setting. We’ll cover:

✅ Red flags of depression assessment, and how to handle them when you find them

✅ Key resources you need to know out at your clinic (and outside your clinic)

✅ What differentials to watch out for

✅ Approach to medications, and important factors to consider

There is an entire specialty track within the Nurse Practitioner world (PMHNP) that is designed to treat patients with mental health concerns. As Family Nurse Practitioners, there are limits to what is appropriate for us to treat – but we can certainly help our primary care patients experiencing this very common concern. 

SI assessment tool here: https://www.counseling.org/docs/trauma-disaster/fact-sheet-6---suicide-assessment.pdf?sfvrsn=2

PHQ-9 screening here: https://www.mdcalc.com/calc/1725/phq-9-patient-health-questionnaire-9 

Mood disorder questionnaire (MDQ): https://www.ohsu.edu/sites/default/files/2019-06/cms-quality-bipolar_disorder_mdq_screener.pdf 

Read the blog post here.

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Don't forget to grab your free Ultimate Resource Guide for the New NP at https://www.realworldnp.com/guide

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© 2022 Real World NP. For educational and informational purposes only, see realworldnp.com/disclaimer for full details.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

By the time the patient with insomnia makes it to primary care, they have probably been struggling with sleep for a while, and have probably tried some things on their own – without luck. And now they’re hoping YOU can fix it, preferably…tonight?

Insomnia is a murky clinical topic; it’s not always as simple as not getting enough sleep. If you aren’t sure where to start with the patient with insomnia, let’s get you sure. This week, we’ll talk about:

✅ Sleep hygiene – what it is and why it’s important in patients with insomnia

✅ The role of substances (alcohol, caffeine, nicotine) in sleep issues

✅ Getting an insomnia/sleep history

✅ Comorbidities that can be causing or contributing to their insomnia

✅ Pharmacological approach to treating insomnia

✅ Non-pharmacological approach to treating insomnia

There aren’t any tests or labs for diagnosing insomnia. Digging deep and getting a very good history is the biggest part of understanding what is going on and developing the best plan to get your patient the relief they need.  

Read the blog post here.

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Don't forget to grab your free Ultimate Resource Guide for the New NP at https://www.realworldnp.com/guide

Sign up for the Lab Interpretation Crash Course: https://www.realworldnp.com/labs 

Grab your copy of the Digital NP Binder: https://www.realworldnp.com/binder

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© 2022 Real World NP. For educational and informational purposes only, see realworldnp.com/disclaimer for full details.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Let’s be real: the first few years of practice as an NP can be TOUGH. Not only do you have this vast amount of new clinical knowledge to put into practice, you’re also learning the ins and outs of how a clinic runs (for better or worse), and adjusting to being the place where the buck stops. Is it really surprising that you are wondering if it gets better?

It’s a kind of taboo topic, even though it’s a common question that most NPs ask (if only to themselves). It’s also time to put a spotlight on it.

This week, let’s talk about how it gets better as a new NP:

✅ How long does it take to get better?

✅ The role transition from RN to NP

✅ How the complexity of the US healthcare system impacts transition to practice

✅ Examples of what it looks like when it DOES get better

You’re not alone, and you’re doing better than you think. And at some point, the day will come that it will get better – either naturally or because you made the adjustments that you need so that it IS better. 

Read the blog post here.

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Don't forget to grab your free Ultimate Resource Guide for the New NP at https://www.realworldnp.com/guide

Sign up for the Lab Interpretation Crash Course: https://www.realworldnp.com/labs 

Grab your copy of the Digital NP Binder: https://www.realworldnp.com/binder

______________________________

Please note: This episode is intended only for medical providers and students learning to be medical providers. 

_______________________________

© 2022 Real World NP. For educational and informational purposes only, see realworldnp.com/disclaimer for full details.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Labs interpretation for new nurse practitioners can be confusing, and most new grads don't feel well-prepared by what they learned in NP school.

In this podcast episode, I break it down with a SUPER interesting case study from my first year as an NP, and make the approach super simple with 3 steps, including the top do-not-miss diagnoses.

Join us for the Lab Interpretation Crash Course for Nurse Practitioners here.

Read the full blog post.

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© 2022 Real World NP. For educational and informational purposes only, see realworldnp.com/disclaimer for full details.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.