Like the Kidney, Medical Authorizations Require Us to Adapt | Psoriatic Arthritis (PsA)
A very long time ago in my nursing school days, I learned that each kidney has approximately 1 million nephrons comprised of convoluted tubules. Their […]
My Experience with Specialty Pharmacies | Insurance
When I first learned that my insurance required me to use a specialty pharmacy for my biologic medication, it didn’t sound too bad. My first […]
Understanding Family Issues to Maximize Adherence
The challenges of medication adherence in children are as diverse as the populations we serve. Among other things, adherence in children can be affected by […]
RheumNow Live 2019
RheumNow 2019 | March 22-24, 2019 | Fort Worth, TX RNL 2019 is designed with the following objectives: Apply advances in education and event technology to promote […]
RNS Shows Presence on Hill at Arthritis 101 Hill Briefing
By Carrie Beach, BSN, RN-BC The RNS was happy to join in and sponsor along with other patient organizations, the Arthritis Foundation’s 101 Advocacy Hill Briefing […]
Making the Whole Patient Better | Psoriatic Arthritis (PsA)
I have been caring for KN, a 57-year-old woman with psoriatic arthritis (PsA) for approximately 9 months. When she initially presented to our office, she […]
An Update from the RNS on the 2019 AANP Health Policy Conference
By Monica Richey, MSN, ANP-BC/GNP The 2019 AANP (American Association of Nurse Practitioners) Health Policy Conference was recently held in Washington, DC, where I had the […]
The Impact of New Medications | Psoriatic Arthritis (PsA)
When I started in rheumatology practice 11 years ago, we had few options at our disposal to treat patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA). The initial […]
The Day-to-Day Roles of a Research Nurse
Everyone pursues a nursing career for slightly different reasons, but at its core, we’re all striving for one basic goal—to help our patients be healthier […]
Healthy Mom, Healthy Patient
There are few phrases that strike a more dramatic tone than “bariatric surgery.” The general perception is that this is a last-ditch option for individuals […]
Opioids and Obesity: A Complicated Challenge | Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA)
It’s impossible to get through a day without hearing about or seeing an article focused on the current opioid crisis in the United States. The […]
The Picture of Rheumatologic IrAE Presentations: A myCME Pulse Learners’ Survey
Dear Clinician: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are the most commonly used type of cancer immunotherapy. Unfortunately, these agents can cause a number of immune-related adverse […]
Bariatric Surgery: Helping Our Patients Take the Ultimate Step in Weight Loss | Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA)
MDis a 51-year-old woman who first came to our practice approximately 12 years ago with complaints of diffuse joint pain. Her recent history included pain […]
Is Fat Making Our Patient’s RA Worse? | Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA)
I had a new patient, LO, come to me following a referral from urgent care in March 2017. Her urgent care visit was prompted by […]
Building Mutual Trust with Dermatology | Psoriasis
It’s extremely important to have a good relationship with our dermatology colleagues, especially when dealing with patients with possible psoriatic arthritis (PsA). As most of […]
When Treatment Guidelines Meet Clinical Practice | Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis (PsA)
There are a number of treatment guidelines/recommendations available in nearly every disease state that are based on high-quality clinical evidence. These guidelines typically take many […]
Cheering On Our Patients’ Successes | Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis (PsA)
Treating patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA) can be challenging when they fail to respond or lose their response to a specific therapy. Although we are […]
The Push to Find Answers | Osteoarthritis
For many patients with an autoimmune disease, including myself, finding the right answers to our issues is all about “the journey.” My journey began in […]
2018 ACR Recap
A recap of 2018 ACR from RNS Board Member, Eileen J Lydon, MA, RN, ANP-BC. Some sessions from the 2018 ACR included discussions of the workforce […]
Making Deviations to the Normal Treatment Pattern | Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA)
When a patient is newly diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), there are specific treatment guidelines that are typically followed. This includes the initiation of one […]
All Hail the Negotiator | Seronegative Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA)
I first met JY 2 weeks ago. A 35-year-old, tall, lanky male with a 2-year history of seronegative rheumatoid arthritis (RA), JY initially presented to […]
Tapping Into Our “Spidey Sense”
Recently, I had a casual conversation with some nurse practitioner friends about an older adolescent I saw in clinic, and how my gut told me […]
The Impact of Everyday Life on Drug Adherence… And How You Can Help | Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA)
I was diagnosed with my first chronic illness at age 5, so I’ve taken medication daily for basically as long as I can remember. As […]
Ringing the Bell of Hope for Our Patients | Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA)
In October 2017, I met JP, a 66-year-old female patient, for the first time. During our initial meeting, JP reported that she had been recently […]
Put Your Rheumatology Specs Away with New Patients
Remember those “x-ray specs” they used to sell in the back of comic books? You’d send in your entire allowance, and in just 6-8 weeks, […]