Voices from the Field Series

From time to time, Interson will post Voices from the Field in our blog series to help medical industry professionals share their story, share what is working for them, and ultimately share their experiences.

 

Our first Voices from the Field entry is a Q&A with industry leading urology nurse practitioner Donna Thompson

 

Q: How did you get into the nursing profession?

A:   I have been a nurse for a very long time.  It is very much a part of who I am right now.  I started college for nursing right out of high school and can never remember wanting to be anything else.  I have fond memories of when I first put on my nursing cap, something nurses do not wear anymore and when I proudly wore my nursing pin.   In the interim between then and now, I have been back to school 3 times and now am a nurse practitioner.

 

Q: Why did you choose to specialize in Urology?

A:  An Nurse Practitioner friend of mine offered me a job in her own company, a company that was affiliated with a Urology practice and offered continence evaluations in Long Term Care Facilities.  I thought I would just try it, and found that I loved what I was doing and have been a continence nurse practitioner ever since.

 

Q: What are your favorite tools of the trade?

A:  In what I do, there are only a few tools that really make a difference. Some of the tools that I use include urodynamics equipment, biofeedback equipment, neuromodulation and my trusty Interson bladder ultrasound.  If I had to choose, it would be my portable Interson bladder ultrasound.  It travels with me where ever I see patients and when in nursing homes, an invaluable tool when evaluating bladder emptying.

 

Q: What has been the impact of portable ultrasound?

A:   The advantage of a portable Interson ultrasound over the bladderscan is that I get to directly visualize the bladder.  In some cases, I have been able to identify pathology that would not have been clearly evident using a bladderscan.    In a difficult fiscal environment, the bedside Interson bladder ultrasound helps guide my decision making when debating further diagnostic testing.

 

Q: How do you see ultrasound technology shaping your industry in the future?

A:   The growth of bedside portable ultrasound technology is really quite exciting.  It has the potential to expedite diagnostic decision making and reduce cost by avoiding unnecessary expensive testing.

 

Q: When not holding a portable ultrasound, what do you do for fun?

A:  A very personal question, but I must admit I love the outdoors that includes camping, hiking and gardening.   Most of all, I love time spent with family and friends.

 

Q: Advice for those new to portable ultrasound?

A:  There is a learning curve with portable ultrasound, it is not just a point and click.  But once you start using it, you will come to love the extra information it gives you.

 

Donna Thompson – MSN, CRNP, CCCN

Donna is a nurse practitioner who has been working as a continence specialist for nearly 20 years. Currently, her practice includes both outpatient office setting and long-term care. She works for two physician practices, one urogynecology and the other urology in which she provides urodynamic evaluations, pelvic floor rehab, behavioral therapy, biofeedback, PTNS, management of POP, and some research. In addition, she has her own business, Continence Solutions, LLC, offering services as a continence consultant for extended care facilities. She has been an active SUNA member for many years, serving as a symposium chairperson, has been on various committees/task forces, and is the treasurer of her local SUNA chapter. She has spoken at SUNA conferences as well as other national and local conferences and has published on geriatric issues and incontinence in Urologic Nursing, JWOCN, and other journals. In 2014 she was the recipient of the NAFC Rodney Appell Continence Champion Award.

 

For more information on the portable Interson Bladder Ultrasound, please contact Gregory DePaco at [email protected]