PNP Corner

Busy PNPs and their fellow pediatric-focused APRNs recognize how important, yet sometimes difficult it is to maintain current clinical practice in a rapidly changing healthcare environment. The National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners (NAPNAP) has joined with Contemporary Pediatrics to provide additional resources for members to provide the latest guidelines and information in the world of pediatrics through PNP Corner.

PNP Corner

Advocate for removal of toxic heavy metals in baby foods

December 19, 2019

Donna Hallas PhD, PCPNP-BC, CPNP, PMHS, FAANP

As advocates for child health, PNPs should actively support the Healthy Babies Bright Futures recommendations to create public health policies that ensure food safety and the removal of toxic heavy metals from infant and toddler food supplies. In fact, our advocacy should go beyond the infant food supply to all foods, to protect the health and well-being of all individuals regardless of age. Toxic metals should not be a part of anyone’s daily dietary intake.

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Educational updates help improve pediatric healthcare outcomes

November 25, 2019

Donna Hallas PhD, PCPNP-BC, CPNP, PMHS, FAANP

Pediatric educational and policy conferences are always special, providing opportunities to update knowledge and practice skills; introduce new practice guidelines with rationales for evidence-based changes; present the most recent research findings that have the potential to improve practice and healthcare outcomes; and unequalled opportunities for networking.

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Providers need to consistently implement immunization schedules

October 21, 2019

Donna Hallas PhD, PCPNP-BC, CPNP, PMHS, FAANP

The evidence is clear: Practitioners who fail to administer immunizations according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices schedules results in adverse outcomes for children and adolescents who are needlessly exposed to vaccine preventable diseases.

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Cannabidiol use: We do not know the potential to harm

September 24, 2019

Donna Hallas PhD, PCPNP-BC, CPNP, PMHS, FAANP

I totally agree with Dr. Schuman’s perspective in his article that “it is inappropriate and irresponsible for pediatricians [and I include, PNPs] to encourage the use of cannabidiol (CBD) until more studies are available” to assure the safety and efficacy of CBD are clearly established in rigorous randomized controlled clinical trials (RCTs).

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Autistic spectrum disorder: Challenges in the medical home

August 22, 2019

Donna Hallas PhD, PCPNP-BC, CPNP, PMHS, FAANP

'Building a medical home for children with autism' describes the importance of establishing a medical home in a pediatric office for children with a diagnosis of autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) and discusses five major management strategies for the successful management of children in the medical home.

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Social justice, health policy, and vaccine-refusing parents

July 23, 2019

Donna Hallas PhD, PCPNP-BC, CPNP, PMHS, FAANP

To me, it seems that we are trapped traveling around the world within ‘non-connected circles’ that encompass viewpoints adversely affecting significant scientific immunization advances developed to improve the health and well-being of infants, children, adolescents, their families, and all individuals who interact with them.

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New insights on the impact of paternal parenting

June 24, 2019

Donna Hallas PhD, PCPNP-BC, CPNP, PMHS, FAANP

Covering the father as both parent and influential partner in childrearing from preconception to entrance into young adulthood, this issue provides the foundation for thoughtful consideration of how we, as nurse practitioners, can address paternal parenting and apply the past 10 years of research results on fathers to better inform our practices.

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Taking a journal club approach

May 22, 2019

Donna Hallas PhD, PCPNP-BC, CPNP, PMHS, FAANP

Best practices for both hospital and ambulatory care centers include methods to encourage the continuous educational development of all members of nursing and interprofessional (IP) teams. One successful, but sometimes resisted strategy, is to engage all members of the team in planned monthly journal club luncheons in which the members review a recently published article that may impact practice management strategies.

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Rethink adolescent privacy

April 22, 2019

Donna Hallas PhD, PCPNP-BC, CPNP, PMHS, FAANP

The dilemmas and barriers that providers encounter daily in clinical practice in attempting to maintain confidentiality for their adolescent patient while simultaneously protecting the adolescent from potential harm are daunting for providers as there are no nationally recognized, evidence-based standards addressing adolescent confidentiality and privacy issues in the delivery of quality healthcare to adolescents.

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4 reasons NPs get sued and 4 malpractice counterstrategies

March 26, 2019

Donna Hallas PhD, PCPNP-BC, CPNP, PMHS, FAANP

I recommend not only reading "You've been served! What to do if you get sued for malpractice," but also consider current practice strategies and those that can be implemented with the goal of preventing malpractice claims.

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PNP Corner

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