How to go from a Nurse Practitioner to Nurse Anesthetist?

Is it normal for a doctor / nurse practitioner to require you to come back in to go over your test results?

• I'm in college in Virginia and since my parents are divorced, I divide my time spent during the holidays between their two cities. Back during Thanksgiving break when I was in Florida with my dad I saw a nurse practitioner there who had been recommended to him by one of his coworkers. I'd been having these dizzy spells and losing weight. I'd actually thought the lady was a doctor because she had a very nice office. So I saw her and explained my situation and how I was just there for a week. She ordered a TON of blood work and said the results would probably come in from the lab after I'd gone back to school, so she would call me and discuss them. She said I might have anemia and a thyroid issue based on my symptoms and she would have the prescriptions phoned into my pharmacy at school after she got the results if that was the case. So I went and did the blood work. It was a LOT of blood work. Then I waited for the results. And I waited. And I waited. I called her office about five times. Each time the same ditzy girl took my message, then called back and tried to make an appointment for me for the consultation. Each time I explained to her again that I don't live in Florida so I can't be there in person, and the nurse had said she'd call me with the results and phone in the prescriptions. I spend Christmas at my mom's house so I don't go back to Florida till Spring Break! My dad went in there in person to try to actually get the results and the lady was like "she has to book an appointment and come in." The lady did give him a copy of my blood work results but we're not doctors so we don't know what all it means. It does show that my results are out of range for 5 things. I sent them a letter and they called me back today and said the only thing I can do is either fly back to Florida to see her or book a phone consolation. She said insurance won't cover the phone consultation so my dad will have to pay $150 out of pocket for it. What the hell? She said that the lady is just a nurse anyway and so she couldn't call in the prescriptions for me no matter what. Why didn't she say that then? Why did she make me do those tests? She also had me go to this center and take a metabolism test and Idk even know why. I've been seeing the same two doctors near my mom's house pretty much since I was born, and they've never made me come back in to go over the results. They've always sent the results and a letter explaining them to my mom or emailed her. I asked the nurse's office today if there was something wrong with me, and that was why I had to come in and the lady said that either way - even if I was totally fine or I had cancer - I'd have to come in. What the hell? I had these tests in NOVEMBER. My dad has already paid that bill. They billed our insurance $3105 for the blood tests!!!!! We just had to pay $420 of it, but STILL. That's a lot of money for nothing! It was another $35 copay to see the nurse. I'm going to take the results in to a doctor here near my college but Idk if they'll even be any good since they're several months old. Is this normal? I mean, is she just greedy and wanting the stupid $ for the visit just to go over the results?

• Answer:

  Its normal to to discuss lab results in person when something abnormal is found. Its not necessary when the results are normal. Its also not appropriate and maybe even illegal to withhold the results of a test if you are unable to make an appointment to discuss them. The doc i go to doesn't charge anything to discuss test results. They e-mail me a note and his nurse call me on the phone to see if i have any questions. I can also email questions to the doc for free. He's also a real doc, and not a nurse practitioner. I would be very angry at the place you visited and also a little suspicious that they might have ordered unnecessary tests. You don't need $3100 of testing to determine if some one has anemia or a thyroid problem. You probably only need some of the tests after a thyroid problem is established. A person that ran a legitimate and patient-oriented clinic would have followed up immediately and asked you where you wanted your results sent so you could discuss them with a doc where you live.