May 6th is National Nurses Day! Hopefully if you or a loved one has been diagnosed with PAH you have also been introduced to a Pulmonary Hypertension Nurse Coordinator.
What Do Pulmonary Hypertension Nurse Coordinators Do?
Nurse coordinators are a valuable part of any pulmonary hypertension center. The coordinators are usually the go to person that patients can rely on to triage their needs, answer their questions, authorize medications, and advocate for them in every way. Like the physicians specializing in PAH, the nurse coordinators are also focused and devoted to treating PAH patients and receive special training. Unlike the physicians who have responsibilities outside of the PH clinic such as ICU rounds, etc., the nurse coordinators are often in the clinic full time to help patients with any needs.
The nurse coordinator’s main role is to coordinate the efforts of the patient, physician, specialty pharmacy, insurance company, outside physicians, and any other parties involved in the patient’s care to ensure the patient is receiving the best treatments for pulmonary hypertension.
Most patients give little thought to the steps between their physician ordering a medication and them receiving the medication. The PH Nurse Coordinator often works tirelessly behind the scene to make sure that their patients have access to physician appointments, medications, samples, and educational events in their community. They may spend hours filling out forms or arguing with medical directors to obtain the authorizations required for their patients to receive therapy. They may have chased physicians around hospitals or entire towns to have them sign necessary paperwork or speak to medical directors on the phone.
How Do You Thank A PH Nurse Coordinator?
Just a few words of gratitude “thank you for always caring” or “thank you for always returning my phone calls” go a long way. So this Nurses Day May 6th make sure you thank a nurse.
