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Connect With Colleagues Locally, Nationally to Boost Your AP Career

February 29, 2024

March 2024

Leah Lawrence

Leah Lawrence is a freelance health writer and editor based in Delaware.

Sandra Kurtin, PhD, ANP-BC  Hematology/oncology nurse practitioner, assistant professor of clinical medicine, and adjunct clinical assistant professor of nursing at the University of Arizona Cancer Center in Tucson.Sandra Kurtin, PhD, ANP-BC
Hematology/oncology nurse practitioner, assistant professor of clinical medicine, and adjunct clinical assistant professor of nursing at the University of Arizona Cancer Center in Tucson.

 

 

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that nurse practitioners (NPs) and physician assistants (PAs) will be among the 20 fastest growing occupations between 2022 and 2032, with NPs tying with turbine service technicians for the top spot on the list.1 As it stands now, visits with NPs and PAs account for about 25% of all health care visits.2

In turn, the demand for advanced practitioners (APs) continues to grow with a rapid increase in the number of job openings. ASH Clinical News reached out to Sandra Kurtin, PhD, ANP-C, director of advanced practice at the University of Arizona Cancer Center in Tucson; Colleen Lewis, MSN, ANP-BC, AOCNP, vice president of nursing and research at Florida Cancer Specialists & Research Institute in Tampa; and Nicole Deline, MSN, APRN, FNP-BC, AOCNP, assistant director of advanced practice providers at Tennessee Oncology, a partner of OneOncology, in Nashville, and asked them how APs should build their networks and connect with other practitioners.

What are the benefits of building a network of peers? Is this recommended only for APs new to the field, or can experienced APs gain something from networking?

Ms. Deline: I have always practiced in a community setting. I strongly believe that networking prevents APs from getting into “silos.” Some community practices may have a single AP support role and only one or two doctors. APs are not traditionally trained in hematology or oncology, so there can be a huge learning curve when they enter the specialty. Networking has created a way for me to connect with other community hematology and oncology APs and APs in the academic setting. Those connections can prevent siloing for APs in small practices.

Ms. Lewis: The first thing that comes to mind when I think about the importance of networking is sharing best practices. In a large community setting, sharing best practices to ensure excellent care across the practice is very impactful. There is a tremendous benefit to engaging with professional organizations and leveraging the available resources. By taking advantage of these resources, organizations can ensure there is access to standard education tools via providers without having to reinvent the wheel internally.

Dr. Kurtin: What Nicole and Colleen have described can happen in the absence of being in a large academic institution where you have many AP colleagues but require strategies to connect with colleagues within a network of smaller practices or outside the practice. That’s why the opportunity to network is so important. One of the goals of the Advanced Practitioner Society for Hematology and Oncology (APSHO) is to build connections within the AP workforce across the country so if practitioners come across challenging situations either clinically or administratively, they have people they can reach out to for collaboration or to share best practices.

When networking, how do you find the right people to connect with?

Ms. Deline: APSHO does an excellent job of creating specific space within its conference where practitioners can find leaders and connect based on areas of interest. They have also created some breakout sessions or “mini groups” titled “Brain Dates” where APs can bring topics forward to lead discussions or to participate in. These are smaller sessions that may consist of three to six people. These sessions are excellent for networking with people who have similar situations and allow you to troubleshoot or collaborate. They enable you to exchange information and build relationships moving forward.

Ms. Lewis: I agree. APSHO has done a great job of setting up forums for specific interests and expertise. I have found it personally helpful that APSHO continues to involve a lot more support for AP leaders. I look around the field and see more opportunities for AP leaders to have a seat at the table to help make decisions about patient care, and APSHO does a nice job of supporting its leaders, sharing best practices, looking at compensation, and supporting each other by bringing information back to each of our institutions.

Dr. Kurtin: Leadership support is so important. I am a member of APSHO’s Professional Development and Leadership Committee, which was given charges by the APSHO Board of Directors. Through the Leadership Summit, which has been in existence for just four years, we have published a supplement that speaks to the things Colleen mentioned, including compensation, productivity, benchmark measures, burnout, and work-life balance. It discusses the integral role that APs play in keeping practices running efficiently and effectively, how to grow AP leaders, and how to maintain the AP workforce.

How much networking do you do with people you trained with?

Dr. Kurtin: Unlike physicians who have fellowship programs, AP fellowships are not standard at this point. There are a few fellowship programs across the country that offer in-depth training in hematology and oncology. Most APs are trained in family practice, adult, geriatrics, or acute care with very little content specific to hematology or oncology. Most APs may be in touch with people they went to NP or PA school with, but because people go into various specialties, they often lose touch. Building a network within your subspecialty requires the strategies we have discussed.

Ms. Deline: I agree. I may have a conversation with someone I went through NP school with twice a year. They may reach out to me with a question related to their work. Most of my conversations around my current daily practice happen within those networking groups we discussed earlier or by using online forums where you have a community to post questions to or collaborate with.

How can APs make networking a two-way street? That is, what can they offer others in return for what they receive?

Ms. Deline: I would reference back to the APSHO small group settings that exist within the larger conference. It is very challenging to be in a practice in a rural setting. My first year was challenging. It is like opening a fire hydrant and trying to take in so much information. There is a lot of self-doubt, no matter how confident you feel in your abilities as a practitioner. I thought, “Am I ever going to learn this?” That first year is a roller coaster of learning information. I hosted a “brain date” for first-year APs on how to maintain your confidence during the challenging first-year learning curve. It was probably more meaningful for me than for the people who attended. It was a great way to say that I faced something difficult and gave the insight to others that they will be able to get through it.

Ms. Lewis: For me, a way of giving back is by sharing professional development opportunities. I have had AP mentors who have been very generous with their time and involvement. They have pulled me in with national organizations or speaking opportunities and have been very willing to ensure my professional development. I try to do the same for others and mentor people in both clinical skills and leadership. I try to match people with their interest and ensure that I’m sharing professional development opportunities across my community. As oncology APs, we need to support each other and communicate.

Dr. Kurtin: I have been at this for some time, and mentoring is critically important. I have talked a bit about the Leadership Summit. There, we talk about how to cultivate and grow the next generation of APs in hematology and oncology. I am also proud to have been a part of the ASH Clinical News editorial board (2021-2023) and to have helped bring “AP Voices” to the forefront. This column invites AP colleagues to have a voice and talk about a variety of topics.

If you are new to the field, how do you identify the right opportunities?

Ms. Lewis: You must find an organization committed to excellent care and innovation. There must be a commitment to supporting the role of APs. That has always been important to me when I look at an organization.

Dr. Kurtin: If you are doing organizational work — like through APSHO — or other things where you are volunteering your time, you have to look for an organization that you feel is aligned with your values and will move the needle forward in terms of recognition of APs and advocacy for our different patient groups.

What other ways can APs network with each other?

Dr. Kurtin: In addition to the annual meeting, there’s JADPROLive and APSHO’s JADPRO [Journal of the Advanced Practitioner in Oncology] workshop, which has more in-depth sessions around topics of skills. APSHO also has a robust committee structure that provides opportunities for its members to engage.

Ms. Lewis: I agree with Sandy and also want to reiterate the importance of finding opportunities within your own organization’s network. Nicole and I are both at large organizations with a lot of APs. I try to find ways to connect people with each other and leverage the internal expertise of my organization.

Ms. Deline: Within my organization, we host quarterly AP meetings that change locations to try to catch APs in their home locations. Those meeting opportunities provide a time to interact with each other and sometimes include industry supporters. In addition, the Oncology Nursing Society seems to do a good job at the local level with its chapter meetings. This networking within the hematology and oncology setting gives us opportunities to not only collaborate and ask questions but also expand patient access to clinical trials.

Ms. Deline: In this post-pandemic reality, I encourage APs to attend live conferences again — it is important. The first thing I did as a new AP in hematology and oncology was attend a conference, and it made a huge impact. It jump-started my knowledge of what is out there and what resources exist. Get back to a live conference whether locally or nationally!

Dr. Kurtin: Take advantage of the contact information available within journal articles or publications. If you see a research article that is relevant or an interview with an AP that resonates with you and there is contact information, reach out to those people. Most authors are more than happy to reply, answer questions, and strike up a conversation. It is a great way to build your network.

References

  1. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Occupational Outlook Handbook. Fastest growing occupations. Accessed December 8, 2023. https://www.bls.gov/ooh/fastest-growing.htm.
  2. Patel SY, Auerbach D, Huskamp HA, et al. Provision of evaluation and management visits by nurse practitioners and physician assistants in the USA from 2013 to 2019: cross-sectional time series study. 2023;382:e073933.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

 

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