All posts by intensivenp

Advanced practice, critical care, Emergency medicine, medicine, Nursing

The Entitlement of Respect

If you want respect just because of a title, go to medical school.

That may sound harsh… but I believe it to be true.  Let me explain a little further.  I have heard time and time again how demeaning and insulting the term “midlevel provider” is when referring to Nurse Practitioners (NPs) and Physician Assistants (PAs).  Arguments such as “nothing I do is midlevel” have been made time and time again by NPs and PAs who are striving to gain the respect and recognition of their peers in the medical community.  The latest term that all sides have mostly agreed upon is “Advanced Practice Provider” or APP, although I feel that this term is still a somewhat vague representation of what our role entails in today’s healthcare system.  Continue reading The Entitlement of Respect →

critical care, Nursing

“Old School” vs “Gotta Get Into School”

Nursing genocide has been a long time coming. There, I said it. And here is why.

Ever since I graduated with a 2 year Associate of Science degree in nursing, I was asked the question – “So when are you going back for your Bachelors degree?”

I would quickly reply with a resounding “Never, unless I have to!” which lasted for about 2 years… I then decided that this was not enough, I wanted to take it to the next level. Not just a BS nursing degree (pun intended), Continue reading “Old School” vs “Gotta Get Into School” →

critical care, Nursing, Uncategorized

When I grow up…

There are a few childhood memories that will always stick out in my mind and at the top of that list is this question-

“So, what do you want to be when you grow up?”

I cannot even begin to count the number of times I had to come up with answers for this query.  At age 5, my usual answer was that I wanted to become an orthopaedic surgeon.   Then of course there was the follow-up question of “why?”  I simply explained everything my 5-year-old brain understood about orthopaedics with- “So I can take out the bad bones and put in new ones”  (insert orthopaedics joke of choice here).

As I began to “grow up,” my goals and focus shifted several times, ranging from heavy equipment operator/contractor, to farmer, to airline pilot, and then finally to becoming a nurse.  During my senior year of high school I began making college plans to study nursing.  It seemed like the perfect choice- I could get an Associate degree, take boards and start working/making money in just 2 years of college, and NEVER have to go to school again!  Sign me up!
Continue reading When I grow up… →