The Nurse Practitioner Mentor Blog
Learn. Grow. Simplify Your NP Practice.
Weekly blog posts with practical tips, clinical pearls, and real-world guidance for new nurse practitioners in primary care.
For new nurse practitioners in primary care, one of the biggest surprises isn’t the patients in the exam room — it’s the flood of patient portal messages. From refill requests to long symptom stories, portal messages can eat up your time and energy if you don’t have a system.
Here’s a practical, no...
Mild bumps in liver enzymes are common in primary care. The trick for new nurse practitioners is knowing how to quickly sort hepatocellular vs cholestatic patterns, rule out dangerous causes, and decide when to refer. Here’s a practical, real-world NP workflow you can use in clinic.
What the Numb...
Tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis may sound like diseases from the past, but adult vaccination is still critical. As a new nurse practitioner in primary care, you’ll need to know which booster to give, when to give it, and how to handle special situations like pregnancy or wound care.
Tdap vs Td...
Shingles (herpes zoster) is more than just a rash — it can cause weeks of pain, post-herpetic neuralgia, and even vision loss. As a new nurse practitioner in primary care, you’ll frequently get asked: Who needs the shingles vaccine?Here’s a quick, practical guide you can use in clinic.
Who Should...
Pneumococcal disease can cause pneumonia, meningitis, and sepsis — especially in older or immunocompromised patients. As a new nurse practitioner in primary care, you’ll need to know which pneumococcal vaccine to give, when to give it, and how to explain the options to patients.
Who Needs Pneumoc...
As new nurse practitioners in primary care, you’ll frequently encounter questions about vaccines — and the Hepatitis B vaccine is one that comes up often. Who needs it? Which schedule to use? When should you check titers? Here’s a practical, no-fluff guide you can use in clinic.
Why Hepatitis B V...
Bone health is a frequent issue in primary care, and as a new nurse practitioner, you’ll often see DEXA reports that read “osteopenia” or “osteoporosis.” Understanding the difference — and knowing when to treat versus when to monitor — is essential for safe, confident practice.
Definitions at ...
Osteoporosis management goes beyond just prescribing calcium and vitamin D. As new nurse practitioners in primary care, you’ll see patients who already have a diagnosis — or who screen positive with a DEXA. The key is knowing when to treat, which therapy to choose, and how to monitor safely.
Wh...
Osteoporosis is often silent until a fracture occurs — and by then, it’s too late. As new nurse practitioners in primary care, understanding who to screen and how to interpret results is essential. Here’s a no-fluff, step-by-step guide you can use in clinic.
Who Needs Screening?
Women
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Age...
High blood pressure is one of the most common issues in primary care. But sometimes numbers come back very high— and as a new nurse practitioner, it can be hard to know when to panic and when to manage in clinic. The key: distinguishing hypertensive urgency from hypertensive emergency.
