Some days in our rheumatology clinic, our staff feels like a detective agency. We need to work together and examine all of the clues before […]
Rheumatology Nurse Practice
The Importance of Persistence
As we all know, psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is often a challenging disease to diagnose. Physical exam findings are not often definitive. Lab results are rarely […]
Diagnostic Hurdles, Hoops, and Hindsight
If you ask any psoriatic arthritis (PsA) patient about the path to their diagnosis, you’d better grab a cup of coffee and get comfortable. Chances […]
Helping the Men in Our Professional Lives
When we think about family planning issues among patients with rheumatic disease, most of us initially think about our female patients, and for good reason. […]
Postpartum Care of RA: Not an Either/ Or Proposition
Planning for pregnancy can be a difficult task, especially for our patients living with a rheumatic disease. It requires a careful review of current and […]
Oh, Those Teenagers
As a pediatric nurse practitioner, one of the most exciting things about my job is watching my patients grow up and mature. It’s also one […]
Why the ACR Guidelines on Reproductive Health Are So Important for Patients
After more than a decade living with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), I can say without hesitation that the most challenging parts of my healthcare journey have […]
The Patient Perspective: The Benefits of Participating in a Clinical Trial | Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE)
It started with one pill a day, then two, and then four. That was followed by a series of injections. And on and on, still […]
Dealing with the Unique Challenges of the “Have Nots” | Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA)
In the United States, those of us who work as healthcare providers often struggle with the realities of the “haves” vs. the “have nots.” The […]
Making the Hardest Conversations a Bit Easier
Telling a patient that they have rheumatoid arthritis (RA) or any other autoimmune disorder is never easy. By the time most patients arrive in our […]