PEER RESPONSE

PLEASE KINDLY RESPOND TO SHASHA’S POST BELOW. POST MUST BE SUBSTANSIVE, AND ADD TO THE DISCUSSION IN A MEANINGFUL WAY. THANKS

SHASHA’S POST BELOW:

1. Why did you become a nurse practitioner?
Ans: I wanted to become a leader in my field and by doing so, help others (especially in underserved communities). R. Aguero PMNP

2. What specialty did you choose and why?
Ans: Psychiatry. I remember this being the most fascinating rotation during my RN program but getting convinced by peers that I should start in med/surg-Tele to gain that experience first. This time around, I wanted to choose a specialty I would most enjoy. I feel very passionate about helping others with any type of mental health problems and more importantly, I love spreading awareness about mental health in general. R. Aguero PMNP

3. Name three things you love about being a nurse practitioner.

Ans: 1. Being able to work independently (for the most part)

2. Having a lot of flexibility in my schedule

3. What I do never gets old. Every day is exciting, and I learn something new. R. Aguero PMNP

4. What were some of the challenges you experienced while attending nurse practitioner school?

Ans: The cost of graduate school is quite high. Other challenges included being able to manage my time well between work, my studies, and family/friends. R. Aguero PMNP

5. As a nurse practitioner, how has it been collaborating with other physicians and clinicians?

Ans: In my experience, there has always been a culture of respect and good communication. Most, if not all other physicians and clinicians have the same goal in mind (which is to do what is in the best interest of the patient). R. Aguero PMNP

6. As a nurse practitioner, do you have autonomy over your practice, or do you work under the supervision of others?

Ans: As a nurse practitioner, I work with a supervising psychiatrist who is available for questions when I need him, but I otherwise work pretty independently. R. Aguero PMNP

7. Describe a typical workday for you.

Ans: I will describe my typical work week because all my days are different. Monday, I work from home (tele-psych). Tuesday I make rounds at an acute care hospital then come home to work tele-psych. Wednesday I work a full day at an outpatient adolescent clinic. Thursday tele-psych again. Friday is my day off. Both saturday/Sunday I round at the hospital again. R. Aguero PMNP

8. How do you create a balance between personal and work life?

Ans: Although between all my 3 jobs I work a lot, my workdays involve me working anywhere from 4-8 hours only and never more than 8. I feel that it’s a good balance for now. R. Aguero PMNP

9. What are some of the challenges you face on the day-to-day basis in the clinical setting?

Ans: Knowing that more can be done for patients if the resources were available, is a huge challenge. R. Aguero PMNP

10. In an article written by Todd Shryock, he questions the role of the nurse practitioners in the primary care setting and he further questions who is in charge of the Primary Care World, in your opinion do you think nurse practitioners are taking on more responsibilities than physicians?

Ans: Yes and no. In any setting where the nurse practitioner does not have his/her own practice, that nurse practitioner is responsible for the care of the patient and the supervising doctor is only involved in a very minimal way. However, should any problems arise, the supervising doctor is as responsible as the nurse practitioner working under him. R. Aguero PMNP

11. Do you think there is a shortage in your specialty?

Ans: yes, definitely. Especially a shortage in Spanish-speaking providers who are much needed in the LA area. R. Aguero PMNP

12. What is your preferred mode of work or clinical setting?

Ans: Acute care, specifically inpatient psychiatry. R. Aguero PMNP

13. Do you think nurse practitioners are equivalent to medical doctors or physicians?

Ans: I would not say that. A psychiatrist completes medical school then specializes in psychiatry (altogether lets say 12 years of schooling). As a psych NP, I can say I have 12 years RN experience, but that does not compare to going to medical school. Even in the future when I have 20 years experience in psychiatry, I may not fully understand how other body systems work (the way a psychiatrist understands these well due to the fact that he studied all body systems in medical school). R. Aguero PMNP

14. What are some common misbeliefs and/ or myths about nurse practitioners?

Ans: That we are not as competent as a “real doctor”. That we are trying to replace MDs in some way. R. Aguero PMNP

15. Was it hard for you to transition from RN to Nurse Practitioners?

Ans: yes and no. It was scary knowing that I am responsible for the entire care of a patient which includes prescribing medications, creating care plans etc. R. Aguero PMNP

16. Have you thought about obtaining a terminal degree? If so, what kind and why

Ans: I am currently working on finishing my DNP program and swore that would be it for me, until I heard there’s an NP-MD program somewhere and my mind started going, so I will say to be announced. R. Aguero PMNP

Reference:

Chism, L. A. (2019). The Doctor of Nursing practice: A guidebook for role development and professional issues. Jones & Bartlett Learning.

Shryock, T. (2022). Are primary care physicians being replaced? Nurse practitioners and physician assistants keep taking on more primary care responsibilities, often without supervision of a doctor. Medical Economics, 99(9), 4247.

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