The Nurse Practitioner Mentor Blog 

You order a hospital bed, and weeks later it bounces back: denied, "need more info," another round of faxes. The fix is front-loading your note with the exact elements payers look for, so it goes through the first time.

Who's most likely to qualify

These are examples, not an exhaustive list. Coverag...

We've spent the last couple of weeks building insulin regimens. This one is the practical layer: the tips, scripts, and supply details that make prescribing insulin painless and keep the pharmacy from calling you back.

1) Know your concentrations and containers

• Most insulins are U-100 (100 units/m
...

You got fasting glucose under control with basal insulin, but the A1c is still high or post-meal readings are spiking. That's the moment to add prandial (mealtime) insulin. Here's how I layer it in without overcomplicating things.

When to add prandial insulin

• Fasting glucose is at goal but A1c rem
...

Starting insulin makes a lot of us nervous. It did for me too. The good news is that basal insulin is the simplest place to start, and a clear workflow takes most of the fear out of it. Insulin is individualized, but here's how I start it safely and confidently.

When I consider insulin

Start insulin...

You've decided a patient is a good candidate to come off warfarin and onto a DOAC. The tricky part is the handoff, keeping them anticoagulated the whole way through without overshooting into a bleed. Here's how to do it cleanly.

If you want the warfarin side first, start with warfarin basics and dos...

You inherit a patient who's already on warfarin, and now you're the one managing the INR. Some of these patients have a coumadin clinic, but plenty rely on their PCP. Here's a clinic-friendly guide you can use today.

DOACs like apixaban and rivaroxaban are often easier to manage, but warfarin isn't ...

Not every patient can take estrogen, and not every patient wants a daily pill. When the combined pill is off the table, you still have a full menu to offer. Here's a fast, clinic-friendly run through the non-COC options: who each one fits, how to use it, and the counseling that keeps people on it.

I...

Contraception counseling is one of the most common visits you'll have in primary care. For a lot of women, the combined pill is the option they already know and want. The work isn't knowing the pill exists. It's knowing who can safely use it and who can't.

Here's how I think through it, grounded in ...

A patient tells you their heart's been racing or skipping. Most of the time it's benign, but a few of these are the ones you can't miss. Here's the approach I use in clinic to sort them out fast.

Step 1: Are they symptomatic at the visit?

If they're symptomatic in the office:

• Get an EKG right away
...

A patient's lipid panel comes back, the LDL is elevated, and you have about ten minutes to decide whether this needs a statin, a recheck, or just lifestyle counseling. Here's how to make that call quickly and document it cleanly.

Dyslipidemia vs. hyperlipidemia: the terms

• Dyslipidemia is the broad
...