Life with a Nurse Practitioner...a husband's perspective
Happy Nurse Practitioner’s Week to all the NP’s out there. Boy has this been a year or what? With COVID presenting new challenges, your job as an NP is not an easy one…not that it ever was.
I’ve been married for 23 years. The last 6 years, my wife has worked as an NP. Prior to that, she has worked in just about every area of the medical field as a Registered Nurse. This girl has some experience for sure. Together, we put her through NP school. I say “together” because if you’ve been through it…you know it is a family adventure for sure.
I’ve learned some things over the years and I would like to share them with you. They are in no particular order but just my way of sharing.
Never discount an NP because they aren’t an MD
It is easy to think, “Well they aren’t a doctor, what do they know?” Yes, medical doctors have a different degree. An MD goes through much more clinical hours and classes. However, don’t be quick to dismiss the NP. To get a degree as an NP, they go to school and sometimes are in class with people in an MD program. For the most part, the classes are either similar or the same. The education an NP gets is top notch. Becoming an NP is not something that just happens. It takes a tremendous amount of work and knowledge. Did you know there is a difference between an NP and a PA? A Nurse Practitioner and a Physician’s Assistant are similar, yet not. To be an NP, you must have nursing experience. To become a PA, you need a bachelor’s of any kind. The PA gets medical training with their master’s degree as a PA. Not that either is bad, simply different. My point is that an NP has years of experience dealing with patients and that should never be frowned upon because they are not a medical doctor. They may not be an MD, but they can definitely be your doctor.
NP’s are People Too!
Yep. They are people. Believe it or not, they aren’t made of stone. They experience the same things that you do in your job. They have deadlines and responsibilities. Their biggest responsibility is patient care. Patient care can be difficult. The NP sees many different types of people throughout their week. They encounter the sane, the crazy, the smelly, the big, the tall, the fat, the skinny, etc. They see it all. It can be easy as a patient to forget that. When we go to the doctor, we are there for ourselves. It’s easy to get selfish and not even think about the NP. In fact, not only are NP’s people, they have feelings. If you don’t work in their position, it’s almost impossible to understand what happens when the have to tell a patient they have cancer. They may have a patient that is doing great, followed by a patient that has weeks to live. It is a constant roller coaster of emotions that they have to reset between each patient. This is not an easy task. Remember the next time you see your NP that they are people too.
They love their jobs…
While the business side of working for a clinic as an NP can give you a headache from time to time…most NP’s love their jobs. Why? Compassion. They have compassion for their patients. Patients are people…not just numbers. My wife spends countless hours truly getting to know her patients. She works in a small community clinic so she likes to get to know her patients.
They aren’t out to kill you or get you addicted…
This is a huge misconception about the medical field. God has given us the knowledge of medicine…let’s use it. Going all natural is fantastic if it works for you. But if you have a problem that requires medication…take the medication. Yes, there are bad apples out there that will continue to prescribe and get you addicted to meds…but not all medical providers are like that. In fact, most are not. Why? Because they care about the patient, not making money. NP’s are full of compassion and do not want to see you addicted. Don’t stay home because you have this misconception.
There is a ton more, but that covers today. Overall, I am so proud of my wife for just being her. Yes, I am proud of her accomplishments too, but ultimately I am proud that she stands for the type of medical treatment and help we all want. NP’s like her are what make the medical field make a difference. She is strong, beautiful, talented and loves her patients. It is a joy to see her do what she loves to do. We are blessed.