NP Pulse: The Voice of the Nurse Practitioner (AANP)

Today’s guest on NP Pulse is AANP Fellow Dr. Paula Tucker, a PhD student, clinical associate professor and the director of the emergency nurse practitioner program at Emory University. Tucker discusses the excitement and challenges adult learners may experience, the importance of mentorship and tips to help you prioritize self-care and avoid burnout. AANP offers a wealth of educational resources for students and faculty, including the AANP Educational Leadership Certificate Course. This comprehensive, 12-modulre program is available in the AANP CE Center and offers 11 contact hours of continuing education credit. The new AANP Student Education and Training (SET) library is free to AANP NP Student Members and features content related to clinical practice, professional development and much more. Faculty are encouraged to share this valuable member benefit with their NP students.

More than 11,000 nurse practitioners (NPs) participated in the 2022 American Association of Nurse Practitioners® (AANP) National Workforce Survey. A comprehensive report detailing the findings related to NP compensation has just been released! Joining Dr. Sophia Thomas on this episode of NP Pulse is AANP Vice President of Research Christine Tracy, who highlights the importance of research related to the NP role and discusses the many insights NPs can receive from the 2022 AANP NP Compensation Report. AANP members have free access to the 2022 AANP Nurse Practitioner Compensation Report through their AANP member account or through AANP.org. Nonmembers may purchase the report for $219. If you are not yet an AANP member, by joining AANP today, you can gain access to the report and save up to $164!

Joining Dr. Sophia Thomas on this episode of NP Pulse is Dr. Elayne DeSimone, Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (JAANP). For more than 35 years, JAANP has provided editorials, peer-reviewed research and articles on subjects vital to NPs. In this conversation, DeSimone recounts what it was like to graduate from one of the first NP programs at the State University of New York at Stony Brook and then walks us through her career as an NP and in academia. You will learn what goes into editing and producing a successful scholarly journal, and you’ll hear about JAANP’s newest column, “From My Perspective.” Members of AANP receive a free, online subscription to JAANP, along with access to the journal’s AANP-accredited continuing education. Learn more about AANP membership and its many benefits at aanp.org/membership. DeSimone welcomes questions from those interested in becoming an author or peer reviewer, and she may be reached at desimone@aanp.org.

On this episode, two Clinical Ambassadors for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) “Let’s Stop HIV Together” campaign, Drs. Jason Farley and James Q. Simmons, join Dr. Sophia Thomas to discuss queer sexual health. Farley is a world-renowned nurse scientist and epidemiologist who specializes in HIV prevention, treatment and associated co-infections. An adult nurse practitioner (NP), Farley directs the Johns Hopkins School of Nursing Center for Infectious Disease and Nursing Innovation and designs interventions that support an equitable care experience tailored to each patient’s needs. Simmons is an acute care NP, on-air medical contributor and social media influencer whose relatable and reliable messaging resonates with patients and health care providers alike. Listen for tips to help you create a safer, more welcoming environment for your patients — including those within the LGBTQIA+ community — and to support your goal of providing accessible, person-centered, equitable, high-quality health care. The American Association of Nurse Practitioners® (AANP) is proud to partner with the CDC to increase awareness of the “Let’s Stop HIV Together” campaign, HIV Nexus resources for clinicians and HIV prevention information. You can get more involved by attending informative sessions at AANP conferences, joining one or more AANP Communities, reading articles on the AANP News Feed and completing sessions within the AANP CE Center.

On today’s episode, AANP President Dr. Stephen Ferrara invites a past AANP president, Dr. Sophia Thomas, to announce — and celebrate — her return as the host of NP Pulse. Longtime friends and colleagues, Ferrara and Thomas share stories about their journey as NP leaders and what the future may hold for AANP and nurse practitioners (NPs). Listen to learn more about Thomas and podcast topics that are on the horizon. Another great way to stay connected with the NP community is by attending the 2023 AANP Fall Conference in Austin, Texas, Sept. 7-10. This event offers in-person and on-demand packages and the opportunity to earn the AANP Introduction to Leadership Certificate— a prerequisite for the AANP Executive Leadership Program.

Diabetes affects more than 37 million Americans, which is about 11% of the population. Approximately 90-95% of people with diabetes have Type 2 diabetes (T2D), and people living with T2D are increasingly cared for by nurse practitioners (NPs). On today’s podcast we are joined by NPs Drs. Shannon Idzik and Kathryn Evans-Kreider to discuss case studies of commonly encountered issues in the management of T2D. Listen in and think about how you would approach the development of the management plans for these patients described in the case studies. This AANP-accredited podcast, "Type 2 Diabetes: Case Studies in Individualized Care," is part of a six-part series in the “Clinical Advantage Bootcamp: Type 2 Diabetes Management Certificate for Nurse Practitioners,” which was funded by independent medical educational grants from Mylan Inc., a Viatris Company, and Novo Nordisk Inc. To earn 1.25 contact hours of continuing education (CE) credit for this episode, you will need the participation code provided at the end of the podcast. To claim your CE credit, log in and register for the activity within the AANP CE Center, then enter the participation code and complete the post-test and evaluation. CE credit is available for this podcast through July 2024.

In this episode, Drs. Leslie Davis and Margaret "Midge" Bowers discuss how to diagnose and treat resistant hypertension. To earn 1.0 contact hours of continuing education (CE) credit, you will need the participation code provided at the end of the podcast. To claim your CE credit, log in and register for the activity within the AANP CE Center, then enter the participation code and complete the post-test and evaluation. This podcast was made possible by an independent medical education grant from Medtronic.

Listen as AANP Vice President of Accreditation, Conferences and Education Dr. Theresa Campo speaks with two AANP members who are recent NP graduates regarding their experiences as nurse practitioner (NP) students. AANP is committed to supporting NP students along their journey from program selection through clinical practice. Campo shares some exciting new resources — available exclusively to AANP NP Student Members — to help them achieve their academic and professional goals. The new AANP Student Education and Training (AANP SET) platform provides a variety of free activities related to diversity, equity and inclusion, clinical practice and professional development. Members will also benefit from the informative , which contains a wealth of information on everything from interviewing to reimbursement. AANP membership is for all NPs and NP students! Join today and gain access to all the benefits of membership, including valuable discounts on conference registration, 12 free continuing education activities annually with the Course of the Month program and free access for AANP NP Student Members to AANP SET.

On today’s episode, AANP President-Elect Dr. Stephen Ferrara introduces himself and shares his vision for AANP and for NPs across the country. Ferrara is an actively practicing NP and serves as the associate dean of clinical affairs and an assistant professor at Columbia University. Ferrara has been a strong advocate for NPs and patients in the state of New York and beyond. Those attending the 2023 AANP National Conference in New Orleans are encouraged to attend the General Session on Saturday, June 24. During this session, attendees will participate in the annual membership meeting, and incoming and outgoing AANP elected leaders, including Ferrara, will be recognized. Now is the time for NPs to get involved! Join or renew your membership in AANP today. Members get more, including free continuing education (CE) activities with the Course of the Month, complimentary access to peer-reviewed articles and a quick and easy way to transfer your CE credit for certification or recertification — at no additional cost to you! Members enjoy significant savings off conference registration, including the 2023 AANP National Conference — On-Demand June 28-Aug. 3 and the 2023 AANP Fall Conference in Austin, Texas, Sept. 7-10, where you can earn an AANP Introductory Certificate in Leadership or select sessions from five exciting topical areas.

In this episode, April Johnson and Dr. Susan Quisenberry discuss how to recognize and diagnose ankylosing spondylitis through several case studies. They will also cover the importance of early referrals and treatment initiation. To earn 1.0 contact hours of continuing education (CE) credit, you will need the participation code provided at the end of the podcast. To claim your CE credit, log in and register for the activity within the AANP CE Center, then enter the participation code and complete the post-test and evaluation. You can obtain continuing education credit for this podcast until May, 2024 This podcast was made possible by an independent medical education grant from Novartis.

Nurse practitioners (NPs) are key to increasing health equity for patients. In this podcast episode, AANP Fellow Dr. William Rosa — a palliative care expert and behavioral scientist — discusses inequitable access to pain management and palliative care, highlighting ways NPs can make a positive difference. Rosa was honored with the prestigious 2022 AANP Fellows Loretta C. Ford Award and the 2023 AANP Towers Pinnacle Award for his significant contributions to advancing the NP role nationally and internationally. Listen as Rosa shares his wealth of knowledge and powerful stories, providing pearls you can use today in your practice and with your patients. If you’d like to learn more about pain management, palliative care and advocacy, register to attend the 2023 AANP National Conference in New Orleans on June 20-25. This event offers the perfect opportunity to build your NP network while exchanging ideas and knowledge with others — plus, you’ll gain access to more than 80 on-demand sessions June 28-Aug. 3. Don’t miss a keynote by former NASA astronaut Joan Higginbotham, who will inspire you to break through barriers and take your practice to new heights. Members get more, including a savings of at least $200 off nonmember registration rates for the in-person conference! Additional resources are available at aanp.org, including patient education tools, and continuing education activities that will support your practice. Visit the AANP News Feed frequently for the latest NP news and articles.

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a functional gastrointestinal disorder that affects the large intestine. IBS affects approximately 1 in 20 people in the U.S. The impact of IBS on an individual's quality of life can be significant, as it can cause chronic pain, discomfort and disruption to daily activities. Hear nurse practitioners Kim Kearns and Christina Hanson share their experiences and offer insights on the updated American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) guidelines. AANP offers a variety of resources: AANP CE Centerhttps://aanp.org/clnhttps://www.aanp.org/membership/aanp-communities This podcast was made possible by an educational grant from AbbVie.

Hear from Dr. Charles Buscemi, a family nurse practitioner, clinical professor and wound care expert, on the importance of diversity, equity and inclusion within health care. Nurse practitioners (NPs) are ideally positioned to ensure all patients have access to high-quality health care and to be advocates for those who lack adequate representation. This podcast episode offers steps you can take to be even more effective. Get involved! Members of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners® (AANP) can partner with other NPs by joining the AANP Health Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Community. Articles and resources on the AANP website and continuing education activities in the AANP CE Center can help you more effectively address social determinants of health and improve health equity in your community. Be sure to register today for the 2023 AANP National Conference in New Orleans on June 20-25, which offers the perfect opportunity to diversify your NP network while exchanging ideas and knowledge with others. Don’t miss the keynote by former NASA astronaut Joan Higginbotham, who will inspire attendees to break through barriers and take their practices to new heights. Members get more, including a savings of at least $200 off nonmember registration rates for the in-person conference!

More than 14.5 million people 12 years of age or older in the United States meet the clinical criteria for alcohol use disorder (AUD), and more than 1 in 4 adults over 18 years of age reported at least one episode of binge drinking within the previous 90 days. In this episode, nurse practitioners Dr. Laura Leahy and Colleen Barry share their experience and offer insights on AUD. Additional Resources: • Visit the free AANP Collaborative Learning Network, where you can join subject matter experts and colleagues in discussions on AUD and other topics. • Complete the AANP CE Center activity — "Identifying and Managing Alcohol Use Disorder in Primary Care." This activity is supported by educational funding provided by Alkermes.

Kicking off April’s celebration of National Minority Health Month, acute care nurse practitioner and University of South Carolina College of Nursing Assistant Professor Dr. Dwayne Alleyne joins NP Pulse to share his experience surrounding health equity, minority health issues and inherent biases. Listen to this important conversation for a fresh perspective on ways NPs can help effect the change needed to build a more inclusive and trusted health care system. Representation within the health care workforce saves lives! Get involved today! Members of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners® (AANP) can partner with other NPs by joining the AANP Health Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Community. AANP also offers a variety of resources, including articles on the AANP News Feed and continuing education activities in the AANP CE Center, which can help you more effectively address social determinants of health and improve health equity in your community. Be sure to register today for the 2023 AANP National Conference in New Orleans on June 20-25, where former NASA Astronaut Joan Higginbotham will inspire attendees to break through barriers and take their practices to new heights. Members get more, including a savings of at least $200 off nonmember registration rates for the in-person conference!

In this episode, adult nurse practitioner (NP) Heather O’Dell discusses the importance of liver health, the crucial role this organ plays within the human body and the diseases that may lead to needing a liver transplant. She is involved in research related to hepatitis C infected and exposed donor organs, organ utilization and organ allocation. With years of experience working in transplant hepatology, hepatobiliary surgery and clinical practice operations for liver and kidney transplant, O’Dell shares insights about her unique role and provides important information to support NPs with patients who are at risk for, or who have, liver disease. The American Association of Nurse Practitioners® (AANP) offers tools and resources for NPs of all specialties, including those in primary care and those who specialize in caring for patients with liver disease. Access free patient education tools on diseases that affect the liver, visit the AANP CE Center to access quality continuing education activities and consider attending sessions at the 2023 AANP National Conference in New Orleans on June 20-25. Members get more, including a savings of at least $200 off nonmember registration rates for the in-person conference! Additional Resources: American Liver FoundationUnosJohn Hopkins UniversityAmerican Association of Liver Disease

In the U.S., the incidence of major depressive disorder (MDD) has increased significantly since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Nurse practitioners (NPs) are crucial in the identification and treatment of people with MDD and can make a major impact on their lives. Listen in as psych-mental health NPs Drs. Lisa Anderson and Brayden Kameg discuss the symptoms, screening tools, diagnosis, treatment and follow-up care of the patient with MDD. Resources Major Depressive Disorder: Evidence-Based Strategies to Improve Patient Outcomes https://aanp.inreachce.com/Details/Information/3f326558-d7d8-432a-bef5-c902b056d7b9?ref=featured Major Depressive Disorder Patient Education Tool https://storage.aanp.org/www/documents/practice/therapeutic-areas/Major-Depressive-Disorder-Tool.pdf Supported by an educational grant from Takeda Pharmaceuticals U.S.A., Inc.

Be inspired by Dr. Pandora Hardtman, Jhpiego’s chief nursing and midwifery officer, who has worked to advance health equity around the world. Hardtman encourages nurse practitioners to lead locally and consider ways they can make a global impact. Listening can be the best form of advocacy, according to Hardtman, who urges NPs to stay open and engaged. Hear about her life experiences and be empowered along your own nursing journey. If you would like to further develop your leadership skills, AANP offers leadership courses for members, including the AANP Introductory Certificate on Leadership Course, which is a prerequisite for the AANP Executive Leadership Program. A separate AANP Educational Leadership Certificate course is also offered in the AANP CE Center. Register for the 2023 AANP National Conference in June, where you can earn continuing education credit in person or online, meet nurse practitioners from all over the world and hear from leading health experts. As a reminder, nominations for AANP’s National Leadership Awards are being accepted through March 10. Submit your nomination for the Sharp Cutting Edge Award or Towers Pinnacle Award today! Additional resources if you're interested in international nursing: https://aanp.org/international https://www.jhpiego.org/ https://careers.state.gov/career-paths/worldwide-foreign-service/specialist/fss-career-tracks/ https://www.cdc.gov/globalhealth/employment/default.htm

Hear from Victoria Pemberton, RNC, MS, CCRC, project officer for the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI), as she discusses the importance of heart health literacy and highlights ways nurse practitioners can effectively engage with patients to reduce heart disease risk. February is American Heart Month — the ideal time to remind your patients about the importance of making heart-healthy lifestyle changes. New resources from the NHLBI’s The Heart Truth® program can help you empower patients to achieve their cardiovascular health goals. The American Association of Nurse Practitioners® (AANP) offers continuing education (CE), tools and resources to support nurse practitioners (NPs) working to reduce the risk of heart disease. Members may opt to join the AANP Cardiology Community, complete AANP CE Center activities, attend sessions at the 2023 AANP National Conference in New Orleans June 20-25, download clinical practice briefs or access a variety of cardiology-related resources. Additional Resources American Heart Month Outreach ToolkitHigh Blood Pressure and WomenPregnancy and Your Heart HealthHeart Disease PreventionHeart Smart Basics: What to Know to Keep Yours HealthyMy Heart Health Tracker

One in three people will develop shingles (herpes zoster) during their lifetime, and the risk for shingles rises sharply at age 50. The single greatest way to prevent shingles is through shingles vaccination, and nurse practitioners (NPs) are well-positioned to improve vaccination rates. In this podcast episode, NP immunization specialists Drs. Audrey Stevenson and Ruth Carrico are joined by special guest Dr. Elisabeth Cohen, a physician, as they discuss the burden of shingles, the importance of vaccination and how NPs can make an impact in this area. Resources: Shingles Vaccination: It’s Time to Tame the Beast Lurking WithinShingles Tool for PatientsZoster Eye Disease Study (ZEDS) This podcast was made possible by an educational grant from GlaxoSmithKline.