The Nurse Practitioner

Adverse childhood experiences and toxic stress in childhood have been correlated with negative physical and mental health outcomes, poor social outcomes, and early mortality. Understanding the prevalence of trauma and its effects on lifelong health outcomes has been the focus of an evolving concept of care delivery known as trauma-informed care (TIC). The aim of this article is to provide a general overview of TIC and to review current best-practice recommendations and models of care, thereby providing NPs with practical ways to empower a trauma-informed approach to care in their daily practice setting.

Black women suffer disproportionately from healthcare inequities in comparison to their White counterparts. Using the Public Health Critical Race framework, this article explores the lasting effects of systemic racism on the health outcomes of Black women across the lifespan. A case study and specific strategies are presented to examine how clinicians, educators, and policymakers can work with Black women to mitigate and eliminate health inequities.

Carotid body tumors (CBTs) are uncommon neuroendocrine tumors. Affected individuals may remain asymptomatic for years. When present, symptoms are nonspecific. This article describes a case series of 11 patients treated for CBTs, including their symptoms and management. Because CBTs may become malignant and metastasize, it is important for NPs to be knowledgeable about presenting symptoms and appropriate diagnostic studies to be able to refer patients to vascular surgeons early.

The transition to professional practice is a challenging time for the novice NP. Mentorship is an effective strategy to ease this transition and increase success in the role. This article provides recommendations for best practice in mentoring the transitioning novice NP.