Brooke Kolhagen

Perimenopause and menopause have become some of the most dynamic areas of women’s health research. Regulatory shifts and new research have propelled the topic into the spotlight, sparking conversations about how the transition is discussed in clinical, academic, and public spaces.

The science behind the microbiome really is compelling, but public conversation and marketing hype often outpace what current research can support. Let's take a closer look at what science really says about the microbiome, what remains speculative, and how nurse practitioners can help contextualize gut health trends. 

Every November, National Nurse Practitioner Week (NP Week) shines a light on the growing role of NPs in healthcare. NP Week also presents an opportunity for NPs to reflect on the role and their own work. It also raises an important question: What do people still not see about NP practice? 

For psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioners (PMHNPs), the APNA's State of the Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing Workforce report captures both the growth and the limits of a profession under immense pressure to fill national shortages.

Evidence-based practice is the cornerstone of care delivery, but even clinicians may not often stop to think about how that evidence actually translates from research to reality. Learn more about the evidence-practice gap and why it takes years, or even decades, for new innovations to reach clinical workflows.

In nearly every care setting, from the emergency department to the family practice clinic, nurse practitioners encounter patients living with substance use disorders. Yet stigma remains the invisible variable that still determines who gets screened, who gets offered treatment, and who feels welcome to return. Stigma has become not just a social problem, but a structural determinant of health.

Precepting endures because NPs believe in it, but the infrastructure that should support the practice doesn’t make it easy. That gap between commitment and coordination is what the profession now has to reckon with. 

Medical misinformation is an epidemic of its own, and every clinician plays a part in addressing it. This week, NP 411 dives into how NPs can lead with compassion while staying grounded in evidence.

Disease-spreading invertebrates (vectors) such as ticks, mosquitos, and kissing bugs, aren’t new threats, but recent reports and research have pulled them into the spotlight. Climate shifts, global travel, and changing ecosystems have given common vector creatures new opportunities to expand their reach. Due to increased media attention and viral horror stories, patients are hearing about it too. 

Supporting patients with chronic conditions is a matter of routine for many nurse practitioners, but it’s rarely simple. These visits often carry layers of...