Peter decided to become an advanced practitioner because he wanted to take on more of a leadership role and put his critical thinking skills to work managing acute and chronic conditions. “I enjoy seeing the progress made in treating my patients long-term rather than just a single chance encounter,” he explains.

Although Peter now works in geriatrics, he has experience in other specialties including gastroenterology. “I like the fact that I can use my expertise in different ways to help patients,” he explains. “One reason I enjoy working with geriatric patients is that it is very challenging. The US population is aging and there is a high demand for care. I really want to make a difference and help in that regard. Also, my patients have a lot of wisdom to offer and that helps make me a better caregiver.”

When working with his patients Peter strives to provide patient-centered care. “I want to build trusting relationships with all my patients,” he explains. “I want them to feel comfortable reaching out to me with any concern they may have. Being trained as a nurse practitioner, you are trained to treat the whole patient and not just the disease. I make this a part of my practice every day.”

One reason Peter loves being a nurse practitioner so much is that it allows him to learn new things each day. “Medicine is always evolving and keeping up with the latest research is a big priority for me. I also enjoy seeing the results of a treatment or other advice I give patients yield positive results for someone’s health. That’s very rewarding to me.”

When he is not busy with patients Peter enjoys spending time with his dog Cooper, as well as traveling, golfing, and playing video games.