Having been an FNP for over 8 years, I know firsthand that the first year is rough. Everyone's experience is unique, and the transition into practice can be made much better with proper clinical support, a user-friendly EMR, and a gradual build-up of the patient schedule. But the overwhelming majority of the new providers I meet via social media have minimal, if any, onboarding and support as they embark on a whole new career.
In this quick read, I will share 3 of my top suggestions for new NPs for a smoother transition:
Problem-based charting means identifying the chronic problems a patient has and charting on those problems—preferably at every visit if there are any changes.
What medications were prescribed, which ones were switched and why, strategies to consider as next steps, imaging findings with dates.
This will help you keep tabs on chronic conditions, avoid ordering unnecessary imaging repeatedly, quickly recall your previous thought process, and build a plan based on that.
Learning the technical capabilities of your EMR will help you cut down on charting time.
If your EMR allows you to create and save order sets or use text templates, this can save you a lot of time.
No one can realistically memorize all the guidelines that exist for treating various disease processes. The guidelines also change constantly, and looking everything up every single time becomes a tedious task that can be difficult to sustain.
That's why I created an HTN treatment framework, which is perfect for new NPs and PAs.
It contains five short modules, includes a downloadable PDF, and provides a clear guide to help you think through and make initial treatment decisions faster.