A Nurse Practitioner's View

Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell , a longtime champion of NP practice writes a column in today's USA Today, " Health reform can count on nurses ." I am encouraged by this support and recognition for the thousands upon thousands of NPs , Nurse Midwives, Nurse Anesthetists, and Physician Assistants practicing and caring for patients in community, hospital and out-patient settings every day. We are not a new concept nor fad. Our practice is centered on our patients. I invite everyone to read the blogs on my NP Blogroll . You will find examples of the extreme care and commitment we give to our patients. It certainly seems as if Governor Rendell is reading. Its exciting to ponder who else may be reading as well.......

It's back to school time and that means droves of physical forms flowing into offices as a requirement for school. Each form is different in its length, complexity and readability. Some practices have refused to complete forms and will attach a copy of their own. Some practices charge an additional fee to have the forms completed. Why can't we ascribe to a standardized school form that everyone can use? I have seen some forms ask only for height, weight blood pressure and immunization history while others require a complete review of systems, physical exam, diagnosis, and dietary restrictions. What do you think? Should we have a standardized physical form? Do you charge extra for completing patient's forms? If you are a parent or a patient, what do you think of this superfluous and redundant paperwork? I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Here is an article from the U.S. Preventative Services Task Force and is a resource for NPs to implement evidenced-based preventative practice. When the buzz today is about health care reform, here is a good place for us all to start - talking about a preventative proactive evidenced-base approach rather than the opposite of that (which is what we largely have now!)

Here is a very informative interview about current NP practice and health reform from nurse practitioner, Dr. Thad Wilson, president of the American College of Nurse Practitioners ( ACNP ) . Dr. Wilson eloquently provides clarification of the NP role and how our health system will be a better place when full inclusion and barrier-free practice is consistent along state lines. Thanks, Dr. Wilson. There is a post on the same site from a third year medical student about health reform and refers to chatter about nurse practitioners supplanting primary care physicians on a particular board . The posts on that board are certainly entertaining and show how turf wars are alive and kicking. I hope that folks will read Dr. Wilson's interview to get an alternative perspective and realize that we need to work together to ensure that our families and our communities will be taken care of in the health care system of tomorrow.