Eunice
What are some of the responsibilities you have as a nurse practitioner?
#nurse-practitioner
2 answers
Lisa McNiff
Lisa’s Answer
Great question Eunice G!
Depending where and what you are doing as and NP (like do you work for a walk-in clinic, an Urgent Care, ER, primary care office, OB/GYN etc) I work for a walkin clinic it varies however, the basic fundamental are:
Take Patient history (what kinda past medical history does your patient have...Diabetes? Asthma? etc. Do they have any allegries to medication?
What is the chief complaint that brings them to you today? How long? Have they done any home treatments?
Assess the patient: I take vital like blood pressure, heart rate, temp, listen to lung sounds, listen to heart.
Look at what the problem is: Example the patient comes in for cough, I will listen to the lungs to see if I hear anything abnormal like wheezing.
Diagnoses the patient. Maybe the cough is bronchitis?
Treat: treat you patients with the appropriate medications to help them get better.
Follow up with patients if the next few days to see if they are feeling better. Sometimes you might have to change your treatment plan depending upon how the patient is feeling.
Hope this was helpful!
Lisa
MANDY HORNE
MANDY’s Answer
My field is women's health, so I do gynecology and obstetrics.
I take care of many annual well-woman visits, which has allowed me to develop long-term relationships with so many women! I have several patients that I see their daughters and other family members. I also manage basic infertility, weight loss, depression/anxiety, sexual health, and contraception.
We also take care of low-risk pregnancies. A WHNP does not deliver babies, but there are opportunities to become dual certified as a WHNP and a CNM (certified midwife).
A career as an NP is gratifying.
I also am a WHNP assistant clinical professor, so I spend the majority of my time teaching which I also love.
Please reach out if I can answer anything else for you!
Mandy
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