Three hundred and sixty-five days ago today, newFNP had just completed her first day as newFNP.
NewFNP saw five patients that day - today it was thirty.
NewFNP is certain of one thing - being nice to patients makes all the difference in the patient experience of their care. NewFNP had a patient last week with cerebellar ataxia. What is cerebellar ataxia, you might ask. That is precisely the question newFNP was asking herself as she sat staring at her patient. No matter, because newFNP was nice and took time to talk to this woman. Midway through her visit, she told newFNP, "I want you to be my doctor." Well, sister, newFNP can't be your doctor but she can be your FNP even if the only thing she knows about cerebellar ataxia is that she needs to get your ass to neurology.
NewFNP also has to remind herself that many people in her practice are, quite frankly, health illiterate. Many people do not know how to care for themselves; they don't know the difference between what is healthful and what is dangerous. For newFNP, that is sometimes hard to fathom. Before newFNP was newFNP, she knew that Gatorade was not a health drink. She didn't learn that in NP school or in MPH school - she just knew from sometime long ago.
This lack of basic health knowledge is frustrating to newFNP at times, such as today when she had an urgent walk-in for, no joke, a bruise. A run of the mill purple bruise. But as newFNP felt herself thinking, "What in the motherfucking fuck is this person doing here," she backed off that ledge and remembered that this person was in clinic to get newFNP's professional and educated opinion about her bruise.
Ah, the wisdom we amass.
Although newFNP has yet to submit her request for a salary increase, she did receive a brand new chair at the end of the day today. For the past year, newFNP has had this ghetto-ass hoopty chair. No more - newFNP is now ergonomically correct and does it ever feel good. Now if she could only get a computer.
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Thanks for sharing this year, newFNP readers.
Tuesday, August 29, 2006
Celebrating one year of newFNP
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5 comments:
Congrats on surviving your first year on the job! It may not get any easier, but at least the hardest days are behind you. And I hope you keep the blog entries coming - your stories of the highs and lows of life on the job are an inspiration for the rest of us.
Yes, please write more...
As an FNP student, I love your blog!
laughing out loud, too loud to merely type lol. thank you for continuing to write. i check every day and truly enjoy your writing about your experience (because it is exactly mine!)
woo-hoo - great job! I am also a new FNP - a few months behind you, and I too sincerely enjoy your sense of humor, knowledge and perspective regarding our job. Before you get that raise and get too settled in over there, can I just say - you would make an unbelievable FNP instructor - think about it - we need you.
Thank you for sharing YOUR year with us...you are so very talented, in medicine and writing! I read your blog everday to help me get through my day.
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