Group items tagged

This article touches on a topic of particular interest to me, specifically how APRN's can help fill a critical shortage of primary care providers in HIV medicine. The article validates that APRN's (NP's) are more than capable of providing high quality care to those living with HIV. Moreover, we are well positioned to fill the provider shortage that is only expected to grow over the next decade and beyond.

As NPs, many of us who have not practiced as nurses, it might be difficult to get your foot in the door of that first job. This is a personal strategy that I came up with to try and help mitigate that for myself, I'm obviously hoping that it works! For those of us who know where we want to work, for me that's in HIV medicine, I think it's important to develop the competencies that your employer will be looking for when you walk in the door. This article does a nice job of laying those out for entry level NPs looking to get into HIV medicine. What I'm trying to do is add as many of these skills to my resume while I'm attending school. My hope is that will give me an edge over NPs that I'm competing with who may not have been in the specialty specific time. If you can identify your desired areas of practice then its just a matter of looking for opportunities to add to your skillset. Look for faculty that have a shared interest, see if you can work on a research project with them. Look for nursing organizations in that specialty. There are two HIV specific organizations for APRNs looking to get into HIV medicine (ANAC and AAHIV). Join them and start networking. Take as much CNE as you can in your specialty topic - much of its free and can be done online at your own pace.

J Nurs Educ. 2012 Nov;51(11):623-31. doi: 10.3928/01484834-20120914-03. Epub 2012 Sep 14. Review

Discusses challenges faced by new NP grads as they transition from student to NP.

This article describes feeling like a fraud once in a new role as an advanced practice nurse. It also speaks to how this is a normal feeling and suggests different ways to cope with these feelings to make the transition easier.

By Stephanie Tillman, CNM, MSN As with all things in midwifery practice, the search for the first, or the next, midwifery job must be holistic: keep in mind life's logistics, economic demands, and the needs of your soul. What kind of midwife do you want to be?

This article is part of a series by Stephanie Tillman (Feminist Midwife) for ACNM about being a new nurse-midwife. This article specifically talks about resources for the job hunt and strategies to help with that process.

This article describes the orientation process used in a pediatric cardiac center for APNs to increase confidence in skills, knowledge of role, mentorship, and NP retention during the first year of practice.

This article looked at the factors that affect the role transition from student to NP. It found a positive relationship when the individual received formal orientation. The study found no difference in those who had prior RN experience and those who did not.

This study reviewed the struggles new APRNs were having when transitioning to new healthcare providers. It discussed the benefits of a formal residency program for new APRNs and used the benefits the programs provided for new MDs to support the findings that these formal residencies could provide for new APRNs.

This articles takes about the importance of a structured residency program for new nurse practitioners. A structured residency program helps to the NP to get acclimated in the new role of being a provider and ensures patients are receiving quality care.

This is just a quick PDF about a new grad NP's transition as a healthcare provider in family medicine. She gives some tips and advice for those who will be going through a similar transition.

I enjoyed this concise description and advice column by a fellow NP who gives an honest account of her struggles and ways to support yourself in the transition from NP student to practicing NP.

This article discusses the transition from RN to an APRN

This article examines the factors that come into play when transitioning from the RN to APRN role.

A recent study of 352 NP conference goers found that NPs who received a formal/structured orientation reported a better role transition experience than those who did not. Interestingly, RN experience was not a significant factor.

My intended area of practice is in HIV nursing. In my last post I provided a link to the competencies needed to be an advanced practice nurse in the field, and I talked a little bit about steps I'm taking to close that gap. To hopefully move me along the continuum from novice to expert. I thought this article was interesting and provided a broader approach in how nurses might use residency program for exactly that purpose. The article talks about DNPs but it is no different for the MSN prepared nurse. It seems that residencies may become more the norm in the future - and that might be good for all, new nurses and patients alike.

An article examining the effectiveness of high fidelity simulation on preparing APRN students for practice.

This article looked at the relationship between physician oversight and APRN autonomy and empowerment. It surveyed APRNs in Montana, to determine which factors most influence APRN empowerment and autonomy. Surprisingly, it found that high levels of physician oversight improve APRN empowerment, regardless of whether the oversight is regulatory or simply collaborative. A next step for this study would be to learn more about why physician empowerment increases APRN autonomy - are there certain qualities to the physician/APRN relationship that must be established?