Fitzgerald Health Education Associates, Inc.

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1 Fitzgerald Health Education Associates, Inc. Fitzgerald Health Education Associates, Inc. Newsletter Volume VII Issue 8 August 2007 Published by: Fitzgerald Health Education Associates, Inc. 85 Flagship Dr. North Andover, MA Announcements: Anthony J. Busti, PharmD, BSN, BCPS, Clinical Pharmacist Specialist, Internal Medicine and HIV Pharmacotherapy, Dallas VA Medical Center, Dallas, TX; Associate Professor, Texas Tech University HSC School of Pharmacy, Dallas, TX. Congratulations on your recently received credential of Diplomate of the Accreditation Council for Clinical Lipidology. Congratulations Anthony! NEWLY ADDED COURSES Chicago area, Illinois - October 15-20, day Clinical Pharmacology for NPs and Advanced Practice Clinicians. Earn 45 contact hours! For additional information or to enroll, go to Fitzgerald Health Education Associates, Inc. is an NP-owned company dedicated to helping nurse practitioners and advanced practice nurses achieve certification through review courses and to help healthcare providers maintain professional competence by providing live continuing education seminars, web and computer based learning courses, audio/video learning modules and books. The Fitzgerald Nurse Practitioner Certification Exam Review and Advanced Practice Update Course has helped more than 42,000 NPs nationwide achieve certification and improve their clinical assessment skills since its inception in CONTENTS: * FHEA Special Offer of the Month * News for Fitzgerald Health Education Associates, Inc. Headquarters: Highlights of Speakers School 2007 * New Clinical Workshops and Pharmacology Update Programs Announced * World Breastfeeding Week 2007 * Margaret A. Fitzgerald and FHEA Associates Upcoming speaking engagements * Certification Question of the Month - Example of exam questions * Job Openings for NPs & PAs * An Important Message for All NPs Practicing in Massachusetts * Opportunities for NPs to Expand Scope of Practice * Advertising announcement * Open Forum FHEA Offer of the Month 85 Flagship Drive VM npr@fhea.com North Andover, MA FAX Internet

2 Page 2 August 14, 2007 August's Special: 10% Discount off of Laboratory Data Interpretation: A case study approach, 3 rd edition audio CDs. For more information go to: News for Fitzgerald Health Education Associates, Inc. Headquarters: Highlights of Speakers School 2007 President, Fitzgerald Health Education Associates, Inc. FNP, Adjunct Faculty, Family Practice Residency, Greater Lawrence (MA) Family Participants from across the country recently met at the FHEA headquarters in North Andover, MA for Speakers School During this intense two-day program, the attendees met with Marc Comstock, FHEA s CEO to work on the technical aspect of the speaking business and with Margaret Fitzgerald, FHEA s President and Principle Lecturer, on enhancing verbal and visual presentation technique. In addition, the group learned about the business basics of professional speaking and received on-the-spot feedback on their presentation skills. The results were magnificent! (continued...) For the full article to go: New Clinical Workshops and Pharmacology Update Programs * Atlanta, GA - September 5, Pharmacology Update * Philadelphia, PA - September 26, Full day Common Office Procedures * N. Andover, MA - December 13, Pharmacology Update For more information, go to: World Breastfeeding Week 2007 by Marie L. Bosco, BSN, RNC, IBCLC Private Practice Lactation Consultant, MI The theme of World Breastfeeding Week this year focuses on breastfeeding within the first hour of life and exclusively breastfeeding thereafter. The World Alliance for Breastfeeding Advocacy (WABA) states that attaining this goal could help save the lives of more than one million babies per year worldwide. The International Lactation Consultant Association s focus is breastfeeding during the first hour and establishing a welcoming environment that keeps mothers and babies together. (continued...) For the full article to go: ******* Margaret A. Fitzgerald's upcoming speaking engagements 9/6-09/07 - Texas Nurse Practitioner s 19th Annual Conference, Addison, TX. Topics: Challenging Case Studies in Laboratory Diagnosis 9/08/07-9th Annual Primary Care Conference for Advanced Practice Nurses, University Center, Southeast Missouri State University, Cape Girardeau, Missouri. Topics: A Growing Problem: Stemming the Tide of Obesity; The Path of Most Resistance: Emerging Infectious Disease Threats; An Update on HPV and other Sexually Transmitted Infections; Take a Breath: Advances in the Treatment of Respiratory Disease. 9/13-15/07 - Alaska Nurse Practitioner Conference, Anchorage, Alaska. Topics: The Future of NP Practice in the 21st Century; Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus, Metabolic Syndrome, PCOS: How to assess and manage the many faces of insulin resistance; Special Considerations in Geriatric Prescribing: Issues of safety and efficacy; Antimicrobial Update: A focus on prescribing in the era of resistant pathogens For more information go to:

3 Page 3 August 14, 2007 If you are interested in having Margaret or one of our other talented associates speak at your school, local, regional or national conference, please mail tricia@fhea.com for more information. Conference administrative services are also available. Certification Question of the Month President, Fitzgerald Health Education Associates, Inc. FNP, Adjunct Faculty, Family Practice Residency, Greater Lawrence (MA) Family Here are two examples of questions typically found on the NP certification examinations. Which of the following best describes asthma? A. Intermittent airway inflammation with occasional bronchospasm B. A disease of bronchospasm leading to airway inflammation C. Chronic airway inflammation with superimposed bronchospasm D. Relatively fixed airway constriction Correct response= option C Asthma is a chronic airway inflammatory disease involving an increase in bronchial hyperresponsiveness with superimposed bronchospasm and a resulting decrease in FEV1 to FVC ratio. While the condition ranks as the second after allergic rhinitis as the most common chronic respiratory disease in North America, many with asthma continue to be undiagnosed and therefore untreated. Pica during pregnancy is usually considered: A. A harmless practice common in certain ethnic groups B. Only problematic if more nutrition food sources are left out of the diet and replaced by the nonfood C. A way of providing select micronutrients not usually found in food products D. Potentially dangerous due in part to contaminants in the nonfood substance. Correct response = Option D Pica is the ingestion of nonfood substances such as clay, cornstarch, laundry starch, dry milk of magnesia, paraffin, coffee grounds or ice. While usually noted to be more common in select ethnic groups, pica is noted in all socioeconomic groups. Certain pica habits are likely harmless, such as sucking on ice chips and likely do little to replace more nutrition substance. Most other pica forms contain potential risk, as nonfood substances are taken in preferably over more nutritious food sources. With the ingestion of clay, starches and paraffin, there is risk of constipation, bowel obstruction, and nutritional deficiency. In particular, many common pica substances can be contaminated with heavy metals such as lead or mercury and other industrial pollutants that are particularly toxic to the mother and the developing fetus. The issue of pica should be raised with all pregnant women. Some women believe that pica is normal, or are encouraged to eat substances like clay by well-meaning friends and family members as a way of relieving tension. Advice should be given recognizing this but informing the woman about the potential risks of pica. Reference: Fitzgerald, M.A. (2005) Nurse Practitioner Certification Examination and Practice Preparation, 2 nd Edition, Philadelphia: F. A. Davis. Job Openings for NPs & PAs

4 Page 4 August 14, 2007 FAMILY NURSE PRACTITIONER, part-time, private Med/Peds practice, Morris Plains, NJ. Experience working with children and adults required. If interested, please call An Important Message for All NPs Practicing in Massachusetts Opportunities for NPs to Expand Scope of Practice Subject: Changes to DPH regulations With the advent of the Minute Clinics, DPH is seeking information about the scope of practice for NPs. They are looking to change the regulations for opening a satellite clinic. What this means for NPs is that we could open and run a satellite clinic without direct MD supervision. This may not sound like much on the surface, but one could extrapolate this change in regulations as one step closer to independent practice. DPH is planning a hearing on Sept 5th and will take public testimony. At the hearing today only ONE NP was present (Not a very loud voice) and a ton of media! They are looking for testimony to support the decision to allow NPs to run these clinics and to hear from the public about wanting to CHOOSE NPs as their health care providers. We need a presence and a voice heard. Get your Aunts and your Mothers to accompany you to this hearing and testify! This is a major opportunity for NP practice. Please contact Nancy O'Rourke for the date and location of this hearing. Thank you, Nancy O'Rourke President, Mass Coalition of NPs oro.n@heywood.org Expand your practice skills by attending Clinical Skills workshop seminars offered by FHEA: Suturing classes - for schedule Clinical skills, such as ECG Interpretation, Cardiac exams, office procedures, dermatologic procedures and ortho exams, go to: for schedule and registration information. Clinical Skills workshops can be brought to you! Call our offices at or services@fhea.com Advertising Announcement Open positions for NPs and PAs can be announced in our newsletter. Contact june@fhea.com for more information regarding placing an ad. Open Forum FHEA welcomes comments and ideas from its readers! Please june@fhea.com If you would like to contact customer service please cs@fhea.com We have sent this newsletter in the hope that you will find it useful. If you prefer not to receive future issues, please stopnews@fhea.com Please include "Stop" as the subject of your and your full name and the mail address you wish to cancel in the body.

5 Page 5 August 14, 2007 If you received a copy of this newsletter from a friend, you can subscribe by sending an to: newsletter@fhea.com. Be sure to include your full name, mailing address and daytime phone number so that we can confirm and authenticate your subscription. Published by: Fitzgerald Health Education Associates, Inc. 85 Flagship Dr. North Andover, MA Copyright Fitzgerald Health Education Associates, Inc. use of this material without prior written permission violates US copyright regulations.