14 Important Questions to Ask A Nurse Practitioner When Shadowing

Written By: Lauren Jacobson MS, RN, WHNP-BC

If you are a nurse practitioner (NP) student or considering becoming one, shadowing a nurse practitioner (NP) can be an excellent way to gain real-world experience and insights into the profession. However, you may be wondering what questions to ask a nurse practitioner when shadowing? To make the most of your shadowing experience, it is essential to come prepared with a list of questions.

Asking thoughtful and relevant questions can help you understand the responsibilities, challenges, and rewards of being an NP. Moreover, it can also help you develop a professional network and build relationships with mentors and peers. In this article, I have compiled a list of 14 important questions to ask a nurse practitioner when shadowing, along with explanations of why they are important.


RECOMMENDED ONLINE NURSE PRACTITIONER PROGRAMS

WHY SHOULD YOU ASK QUESTIONS WHEN SHADOWING A NURSE PRACTITIONER?

I never shadowed a nurse practitioner before I went to NP school, but I lived with an NP, so I was bombarding her with questions all the time anyways. By asking a lot of questions I was able to envision myself as an NP and start seeing what type of clinician I would be, long before I became one. There are several reasons why it is important to ask questions when shadowing a nurse practitioner, but the top three are:

1. To gain insights into their clinical decision-making and practice:

Asking questions while shadowing an NP can help you understand how NPs approach patient care, make clinical decisions, and navigate complex patient cases. This can help you develop critical thinking skills and clinical judgment needed to provide safe and effective care.

2. To learn about their approach to patient-centered care:

Asking questions about communication, patient education, shared decision-making, and informed consent can help you understand how NPs prioritize patient needs and preferences and tailor their care accordingly. This can help you develop skills to provide patient-centered care and build strong patient-provider relationships.

3. To expand your knowledge and skills:

Asking questions about specific health conditions, treatments, and procedures can help you expand your knowledge and skills and stay up-to-date with the latest evidence-based practices. Additionally, asking about challenges and strategies for managing complex cases can help you develop problem-solving skills and learn from real-life experiences.

WHAT ARE THE IMPORTANT QUESTIONS TO ASK A NURSE PRACTITIONER WHEN SHADOWING?

(The following are the 14 most important questions to ask a nurse practitioner when shadowing.)

QUESTION #1: What inspired you to become a nurse practitioner, and how did you get started in your career?

Why Ask This Question:

This question is an excellent way to break the ice and learn about the personal and professional background of the NP you are shadowing. It can also help you understand the different paths and opportunities that lead to becoming an NP. Asking a nurse practitioner what inspired them to pursue a career in healthcare is one of the important questions to ask a nurse practitioner when shadowing. It can provide insights into the NP's personal motivations, values, and experiences that have shaped their professional path.

Understanding what inspired the NP can also help aspiring NPs gain insights into the various career paths within healthcare and the different roles that NPs can play. Additionally, learning about the NP's personal experiences can help aspiring NPs develop empathy and a patient-centered approach to healthcare delivery. By asking questions about personal inspiration and motivation, aspiring NPs can gain valuable insights into the motivations and experiences that drive successful healthcare providers.

QUESTION #2: What does a typical day look like for you, and what are your primary responsibilities and duties?

Why Ask This Question:

There is no better way to see how your future as an NP might look than going right to the source. One of the most important questions to ask a nurse practitioner when shadowing is what their typical workday looks like and what their responsibilities are. Understanding the daily tasks and responsibilities of an NP can provide aspiring NPs with valuable insights into the profession, including the scope of practice, the challenges and rewards of the job, and the skills and competencies needed to succeed. By learning about the daily tasks of an NP, aspiring NPs can better prepare themselves for the realities of the job, including managing competing demands, communicating with patients and other healthcare professionals, and staying up to date with the latest medical advancements.

Additionally, shadowing an NP can help aspiring NPs gain a deeper understanding of the importance of teamwork, collaboration, and patient-centered care in healthcare delivery. Ultimately, asking questions about a typical workday can provide aspiring NPs with a more complete picture of what it means to be an NP and help them prepare for a successful career in healthcare.

QUESTION #3: How do you collaborate with other healthcare professionals, such as physicians, nurses, and medical assistants?

Why Ask This Question:

One of the important questions to ask a nurse practitioner when shadowing is how they collaborate with colleagues. Collaboration is a critical aspect of healthcare delivery, and effective communication and coordination among healthcare providers are essential for ensuring that patients receive safe, high-quality care. By learning about how NPs collaborate with other healthcare professionals, aspiring NPs can gain insights into the importance of teamwork and communication in healthcare, and learn strategies for effective collaboration.

Additionally, shadowing an NP can help aspiring NPs gain a deeper understanding of the roles and responsibilities of different healthcare professionals, and the importance of working together to provide patient-centered care. Ultimately, asking questions about collaboration can help aspiring NPs develop the skills and competencies needed to succeed in a team-based healthcare environment.

QUESTION #4: What are some of the most challenging cases you have encountered in your practice, and how did you handle them?

Why Ask This Question:

Anyone here watch Grey’s Anatomy? I know no medical TV program is super accurate, but this was an all time favorite of mine while in NP school. I dreamt of the variety of cases I might see once clinical practice started. Asking a nurse practitioner about their most challenging cases and how they managed them is one of the important questions to ask a nurse practitioner when shadowing. This can provide aspiring NPs with valuable insights into the complex nature of healthcare delivery. NPs often face complex and challenging cases that require a high level of clinical expertise, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills. By learning about how NPs manage these cases, aspiring NPs can gain insights into the diagnostic and treatment strategies used, as well as the communication and collaboration skills needed to provide effective patient care.

Additionally, understanding how NPs manage complex cases can help aspiring NPs develop resilience and adaptability, two critical qualities for success in healthcare. By shadowing an NP and asking questions about their most challenging cases, aspiring NPs can gain a deeper understanding of the rewards and challenges of the profession and prepare for success in their future roles.

QUESTION #5: What are some of the most common health conditions and concerns that you treat as an NP?

Why Ask This Question:

Asking a nurse practitioner about the most common health conditions and concerns they treat as an NP is an important question to ask when shadowing. It can provide aspiring NPs with valuable insights into the scope of practice of an NP and the types of patients and conditions they may encounter in their future careers. Understanding the most common health conditions and concerns that NPs treat can also help aspiring NPs prepare for their future roles by developing the necessary clinical knowledge and skills.

Additionally, shadowing an NP can help aspiring NPs gain a deeper understanding of the social determinants of health that affect patient outcomes, such as poverty, access to healthcare, and cultural barriers. By learning about the most common health conditions and concerns that NPs treat, aspiring NPs can prepare themselves to provide patient-centered care and make a positive impact on the health and well-being of their patients.

QUESTION #6: How do you stay up-to-date with the latest medical research, guidelines, and best practices in your field?

Why Ask This Question:

As healthcare is a rapidly evolving field, it is crucial to understand how NPs stay current with the latest medical advancements and integrate evidence-based practices into their clinical decision-making. This is why asking how NPs stay up-to-date is one of the top questions to ask a nurse practitioner when shadowing. For me, UpToDate was a favorite and it was also the favorite among my NP colleagues. The catch is that it’s expensive if the institution where you practice doesn’t provide you with access.

QUESTION #7: How do you approach patient education and counseling, and what strategies do you use to improve patient engagement and compliance?

Why Ask This Question:

Asking a nurse practitioner about their approach to patient education and counseling, and the strategies they use to improve patient engagement and compliance, is one of the essential questions to ask a nurse practitioner when shadowing. Patient education and counseling are essential components of patient-centered care, and effective communication is critical for improving patient outcomes.

Understanding the strategies and techniques used by NPs to engage and educate patients can help aspiring NPs develop the skills needed to provide effective patient-centered care. Additionally, patient education and counseling can help patients make informed decisions about their health and improve compliance with treatment plans. By shadowing an NP and asking questions about patient education and counseling, aspiring NPs can gain insights into the communication skills and techniques needed to provide effective patient care and help patients achieve better health outcomes.

QUESTION #8: How do you manage complex patient cases that require interdisciplinary collaboration, such as chronic disease management, palliative care, or mental health?

Why Ask This Question:

In NP school, you will learn a lot about patient care, but complex patient cases will take some exposure and learning through case studies. What better way to get a case study than asking an NP for one directly? Asking a nurse practitioner about how they manage complex patient cases that require interdisciplinary collaboration is one of the important questions to ask a nurse practitioner when shadowing. Complex patient cases often require the collaboration of multiple healthcare professionals, including physicians, nurses, social workers, and other specialists. Effective interdisciplinary collaboration is essential for providing high-quality, patient-centered care and achieving positive patient outcomes.

Understanding how NPs manage complex cases and collaborate with other healthcare professionals can help aspiring NPs develop the necessary communication and collaboration skills needed to provide effective patient care. Additionally, gaining insights into the management of complex cases can help aspiring NPs develop a holistic approach to patient care and understand the importance of teamwork and collaboration in healthcare delivery. By shadowing an NP and asking questions about interdisciplinary collaboration, you can prepare yourself for success in your future role as an NP and make a positive impact on the health and well-being of your patients.

QUESTION #9: How do you assess and manage pain in your patients, and what strategies do you use to balance pain relief with potential risks and side effects?

Why Ask This Question:

Pain management is a common challenge in healthcare, and understanding how NPs assess and manage pain can help you develop your pain management skills and gain insights into the ethical considerations involved. Pain management is a critical component of patient care, and managing pain effectively requires a careful balance between pain relief and the potential risks and side effects of pain medication.

Nurse practitioners play a crucial role in managing pain in patients, and understanding the strategies and techniques they use to balance pain relief with potential risks can help aspiring NPs provide safe and effective pain management in their future roles. Additionally, asking about pain management strategies can help aspiring NPs gain insights into the importance of individualizing treatment plans and taking a holistic approach to patient care, including addressing the physical, psychological, and social aspects of pain.

QUESTION #10: How do you address cultural and linguistic barriers to healthcare, and what strategies do you use to provide culturally competent care?

Why Ask This Question:

Cultural and linguistic diversity is a crucial aspect of healthcare delivery, and understanding how NPs address these barriers can help you develop your cultural competence skills and improve patient outcomes. Culture plays a significant role in health beliefs, behaviors, and practices, and cultural competence is essential for providing high-quality, patient-centered care, and thus asking about how to navigate it is one of the important questions to ask a nurse practitioner when shadowing.

Understanding how NPs approach cultural competency can help aspiring NPs develop the necessary skills and knowledge needed to provide effective care to patients from diverse backgrounds and promote health equity in their future practice.

QUESTION #11: How do you manage patient expectations and address patient concerns and complaints?

Why Ask This Question:

Whether you are considering applying to an NP program or already in one, you will need to become skilled in managing your patients expectations and concerns. One of the best ways to learn how to do this is through practice and observing others. Asking a nurse practitioner how they manage patient expectations and address patient concerns and complaints is an important question when shadowing, as it can provide insight into how the NP approaches communication and patient satisfaction.

Effective communication with patients is critical for building trust and rapport, and addressing concerns and complaints in a timely and respectful manner can help prevent misunderstandings and improve patient outcomes. By understanding how NPs approach patient communication and satisfaction, aspiring NPs can learn strategies for building strong relationships with patients and improving healthcare outcomes.

QUESTION #12: How do you prioritize patient care and manage competing demands, such as administrative tasks, documentation, and communication with other healthcare professionals?

Why Ask This Question:

Anyone here a procrastinator? Welcome to the club! Procrastination can be a useful tool that helps you build the right amount of pressure to succeed, but prioritization and time management are critical skills for NPs, and understanding how they manage competing demands can help you develop your own time management strategies. When shadowing a nurse practitioner, it is important to ask how they prioritize patient care and manage competing demands, such as administrative tasks, documentation, and communication with other healthcare professionals. Effective prioritization and time management are essential skills for NPs, as they must balance a wide range of responsibilities to ensure that patient care is delivered safely and efficiently.

By understanding how NPs manage competing demands, aspiring NPs can learn strategies for effective time management and gain insights into the complex nature of healthcare delivery. Additionally, understanding the importance of documentation and communication in healthcare can help NPs develop their communication and collaboration skills, not to mention the fact that documentation can be one of the most time-consuming things about being an NP.

Overall, asking questions about prioritization and time management can help aspiring NPs gain a deeper understanding of the complex nature of healthcare delivery and prepare for success in their future roles.

QUESTION #13: What strategies do you use to promote health and wellness among your patients, such as disease prevention, healthy lifestyle choices, and patient education?

Why Ask This Question:

As an NP, you will play a vital role in promoting health and wellness among your patients, and understanding how NPs approach these tasks can give you insights into effective health promotion strategies. Asking about the strategies they use to promote health and wellness among patients is one of the most important questions to ask a nurse practitioner when shadowing.

Nurse practitioners play a key role in promoting preventive care and disease management, and understanding the techniques they use to educate and engage patients can help aspiring NPs (such as yourselves) improve their patient outcomes. Additionally, asking about strategies for promoting health and wellness can help you learn about the importance of health promotion and disease prevention, as well as the role of lifestyle modifications and behavioral interventions in improving health outcomes.

QUESTION #14: How do you incorporate patient preferences and values into your clinical decision-making, and what role do shared decision-making and informed consent play in your practice?

Why Ask This Question:

Asking a nurse practitioner about their approach to shared decision-making and informed consent is important when shadowing because these practices are essential for patient-centered care. Shared decision-making involves the patient and healthcare provider working together to make decisions about the patient's healthcare based on the patient's values, preferences, and needs. Informed consent involves the provider informing the patient about the risks and benefits of a particular treatment or procedure, as well as any alternatives, so that the patient can make an informed decision about their care.

Understanding how NPs approach shared decision-making and informed consent can help aspiring NPs provide patient-centered care, foster trust and collaboration with patients, and improve patient outcomes. Additionally, understanding the legal and ethical aspects of shared decision-making and informed consent is crucial for providing safe and effective care.

MY FINAL THOUGHTS

Shadowing an NP is a wonderful idea if you are considering becoming an NP, or already on your way to being one. Don’t let your shadowing experience go to waste though. Show up prepared with questions that will help you navigate your career trajectory. Are you still wondering what questions to ask a nurse practitioner when shadowing? Think about what information you are hoping to gather that you cannot get online or from people you already know. Are you more interested in the personal life benefits of being an NP? Or maybe you would rather gain practical information to help you with your clinical care. Regardless of what it is you are looking to get out of your shadowing experience, these 14 important questions to ask a nurse practitioner when shadowing can provide you with a good starting point.