Grateful Series: Adams Dobbins, Nurse Practitioner
Adam Dobbins at home with his family in Missouri.
Seeing 20 to 25 Patients a Day
Q & A with Nurse Practioner, Adam Dobbins
What hospital do you work at, and where?
My primary work is full time at Truman Medical Center in Kansas City. This is a downtown safety net hospital, which means that we strive to serve all populations including minorities, the poor, the homeless, and those who cannot pay. I also work part time helping to cover ER shifts for small, rural hospitals that often have a difficult time staffing enough physicians and other providers to care for their patients...typically this work takes me to Iowa.
How do you describe your job?
I am a nurse practitioner, certified in family practice and emergency medicine. I work ER, seeing patients of all ages with varying severity of illness/injury, assessing and diagnosing their problems, and developing a treatment plan for them which could include prescriptions medications or admission to the hospital.
How many hours do you typically work in a shift?
My shifts are typically 12 hour shifts, though some of the rural shifts are 24 hour shifts. I will typically see 20-25 patients a day at Truman, and anywhere from a few, to as many as about 20 on the rural shifts.
Do you treat COVID-19 patients, or a mix of both?
A mixture of both. At Truman, we have tried to keep the potentially COVID patients isolated to one area so that we can have necessary protective measures at the ready and have a "cleaner" area for patients that may be more susceptible should they be exposed. At this time, I have rarely worked where patients with COVID symptoms are placed.
What do you wish people would have a better understanding of, given COVID-19? What do you want them to learn during this time, or be aware of?
Simpler methods of protecting yourself are likely the best. Hand washing/sanitizing and keeping surfaces clean are likely the best way to prevent the disease. Having hand sanitizing stations at each isle in the grocery store would likely be much more beneficial to preventing spread.
When you're outside of the hospital, what types of activities do you look forward to?
I enjoy working around the house and doing outdoor work. I enjoy camping, hiking, biking and spending time with my kids.
What part of your job do you enjoy the most?
Feeling like I can make a difference to someone. It may be a little thing, it may be a big thing...but sometimes they [my patients] really need me, and I hope I can come through.