One of my experiences with a provider was negative. I went to a new primary care provider. He noticed that my systolic blood pressure was slightly elevated in the 140s, and my BMI was 29. I told him that my blood pressure is usually in the normal range, but it is high today because I had one of the most stressful times at work as a nurse and in school to be a family nurse practitioner. The PCP did not listen and stated that I needed to see a cardiologist and exercise more. I told the PCP that I am a runner and an avid bodybuilder. The PCP could see I was in shape, and even after I told him I exercise often, he reiterated that I needed to exercise. I told the PCP that I could lower my BP by changing my diet and decreasing my stress, especially being only slightly high. Lifestyle modifications, such as reducing salt to 1.5 gm per day and decreasing saturated fat, alcohol, and caffeine intake, should be initiated first to decrease mild hypertension (Aronow, 2017). The PCP did not want to listen to my options, although he knew I was an RN and I was in my last semesters of FNP school. In the shared decision model, there are five steps to making decisions of care (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality [AHRQ], 2020): seeking the patient’s participation; exploring options with the patient; assessing the patient’s preferences; reaching a decision with the patient; evaluating the decision. The PCP did not do any of the steps in the shared decision-making model. The PCP made me angry enough to want to search for a new PCP, but luckily, he changed his position to a hospitalist; therefore, I had to search for a new PCP.
