Nursing@Georgetown Blog

Almost 95 percent of Americans support organ donation, yet only half of adults in the U.S. are officially registered as donors. Why is that? Nurse Practitioners have the unique opportunity to address barriers through patient education and support.

In the following Q&A, Nursing@Georgetown Family Nurse Practitioner program director Melody Wilkinson, DNP, APRN, FNP-BC, discusses her professional mission in working in HIV specialty and primary care, the importance of establishing relationships with patients, competency-based Nurse Practitioner education, and what makes Nursing@Georgetown unique.

According to a 2014 Center for Reproductive Rights report, a woman living in sub-Saharan Africa has an equal or better chance of surviving childbirth than a black woman living in certain parts of Mississippi. Experts believe persistent poverty, chronic stress and lack of access to health care providers are some of the factors that explain the problem.

Many people choose a career in direct patient care to make a positive change in the lives of underserved, impaired, vulnerable, and still-recovering populations. However, being responsible for the healing of others shouldn’t mean overlooking the care of the caregivers.

According to a review published in the New England Journal of Medicine, seven in 10 Americans feel “not at all knowledgeable” about the meaning of palliative care. While palliative care, end of life care, and hospice care all seek to relieve suffering, each field has unique value to add to a patient’s experience in the care continuum.

Between smartphones, computer monitors, TVs, and tablets, excessive screen time is the new normal. Nursing@Georgetown created the following infographic to illustrate why it’s important to reduce your screen time before going to sleep. Read on to learn more.