NPSchools.com Nursing Features

The nurse practitioner profession is growing at a rapid pace. And with growth comes change. Today’s nurse practitioners are dealing with staff shortages in rural areas, changes in educational standards, and battles for wider practice authority in select states. What will tomorrow’s nurse practitioners be concerned with? Our interview-based features and in-depth resource guides uncover the stories behind the big issues by talking to nurse practitioners who know the subject best.

Ask a Professor: The NP Practice Environment in Missouri

August 2, 2021 – Matt Zbrog

Missouri’s NPs are extensively trained to step in and meet a significant portion of the state’s healthcare needs. The bad news is that antiquated and obtuse regulations at the state level prevent Missouri’s NPs from practicing to the full extent of their education and training.

Civic Health Month: An Expert’s Advocacy Guide

July 26, 2021 – Celeste Williams, MSN, APRN, FNP-BC

August is Civic Health Month—a time to ensure that both coworkers, colleagues, and patients have an opportunity to participate in the decisions that affect their lives.

Ask a Professor: The Practice Environment in Tennessee

July 19, 2021 – Matt Zbrog

The Volunteer State needs better access to quality, affordable healthcare services. Tennessee’s nurse practitioners (NPs) are equipped to provide many of those services, and eager to do so. But antiquated legislation is still preventing them from practicing to the full extent of their training, and the state’s NPs are pushing back with new research.

The Impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences—And How NPs Can Help

June 2, 2021 – Celeste Williams, MSN, APRN, FNP-BC

Adverse childhood experiences have an enormous impact on future substance abuse, violence, victimization and perpetration, sexually transmitted infections, delayed brain development, lower educational attainment, reduced employment opportunities, and a lifetime of increased negative health outcomes and increased risk of disease.

Social Determinants of Health and Their Effect on Health Outcomes: A Case Study

May 19, 2021 – Celeste Williams, MSN, APRN, FNP-BC

The Marshallese make up no more than 3 percent of Northwest Arkansas’ population, but in July of 2020 they had suffered half of the Covid-19 deaths in the region. In order to understand how this occurred we will look at the social determinants that led to such disparity and negative health outcomes.

Ask a Professor: The Practice Environment in Massachusetts

May 13, 2021 – Matt Zbrog

The nation is facing down a primary care crunch. As the Baby Boomer generation retires, medical schools can’t graduate primary care physicians at a rate sufficient to meet the growing medical needs of an aging population. A 2020 report from the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) found that the US could see a shortage of up to 139,000 primary care physicians by 2033. Some states are better equipped to handle this than others—Massachusetts is now one of them.

Day in the Life of an Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (NP)

May 3, 2021 – Matt Zbrog

Approximately six million patients are admitted to intensive care units (ICUs) every year. Their conditions are often complex, and the corresponding treatment environment can be intense. This is just one part of the broader world of acute care, which is based on the short-term treatment of, and/or recovery from, severe and urgent conditions.

Day in the Life of an Oncology Nurse Practitioner (NP)

April 26, 2021 – Matt Zbrog

An oncology nurse practitioner (NP) is a highly-trained, board-certified health professional who specializes in treating patients who have been diagnosed with cancer. They also consult with families, provide ongoing education, and work both independently and in close collaboration with other members of the care team. Oncology is a subspecialty that’s both highly complex and continually evolving: as our scientific understanding of cancer and its treatments changes, so does the way that oncology NPs interact with their patients.

International Day of the Midwife: What Makes a Birth Center Unique

April 20, 2021 – Cevia Yellin

One of the main benefits of birth center services administered by certified nurse-midwives (CNMs) is women’s care. This may include a variety of healthcare services beginning prior to pregnancy and continuing well beyond the childbearing years.

Ask a Professor: The Practice Environment in New Jersey

April 14, 2021 – Matt Zbrog

The retirement of the Baby Boomers represents a monumental shift in American demographics, and the consequences are particularly stark in the field of healthcare. As the largest generation ever ages into retirement, a gap is widening between the demand for healthcare services and the number of skilled healthcare workers who are able to provide them. A 2020 report from the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) projected that the US would see a shortage of between 54,100 and 139,000 primary care physicians by 2033.