Practitioner of the Month: MinuteClinic’s Aimee Kleppin, FNP-BC

In recognition of her leadership, professionalism, and dedication to patient care, Aimee Kleppin, FNP-BC, has been chosen as the inaugural winner ofContemporary Clinic’s Provider of the Month award.

“Aimee exemplifies the excellence of the nurse practitioner profession through the care she provides her patients every day,” wrote Kleppin’s nominator, Kristene Diggins, a manager of professional practice for MinuteClinic. “Her leadership skills as a nurse practitioner are not only seen in her dayto- day clinical teamwork, but also in the pivotal role she’s had in advancing professional practice at MinuteClinic.”

Driven by a fascination with science and a desire to help others, Kleppin chose to pursue a career in medicine after volunteering at a Veterans Affairs hospital where she witnessed firsthand the positive effects nurse practitioners had on their patients’ health. “Nurse practitioners have a unique role in helping others on their path to better health,” Kleppin toldContemporary Clinic. “An important aspect of our role is the education of our patients to assist them in making informed decisions about their health care and lifestyle choices.”

Kleppin graduated with a bachelor of science in nursing from Northern Illinois University in 2011. Four years later, she completed her master of science in nursing at the same school. After earning her degrees, Kleppin lent her skills and knowledge to several Illinois hospitals before finally settling into her role as a family nurse practitioner for MinuteClinic.

Kleppin recounted an interaction with one patient that she felt illustrated the importance of clinicians. Although the patient came to the local clinic simply to receive a vitamin B12 injection, Kleppin noticed that his calf was erythematous and swollen, and encouraged him to go to the emergency department immediately. The patient discovered he had developed cellulitis, and later returned to Kleppin to thank her for recognizing the infection early.

“Holistic care is of paramount importance when caring for patients,” Kleppin states. “Many patients present for minor acute illnesses but have other more pressing health needs that should not be ignored.”

Reflecting on her journey, Kleppin remains grateful for her continued opportunities to improve patient health, but has also found great satisfaction in sharing her expertise with the next generation of clinicians. “I have had many opportunities to be a preceptor to new hires and student nurse practitioners within the retail setting. This is the facet of the job that I enjoy the most and find extremely rewarding,” Kleppin said. “I would encourage other providers to precept nurse practitioner students to give more students the opportunity to learn about retail health and encourage their professional development.”

Q: What is the most important quality for a health care provider to possess?A:The most important quality is critical thinking. Nurse practitioners have extensive health care knowledge and need critical thinking skills to apply that knowledge and become great clinicians.

Q: What is the most important issue in the medical field today? Why?A:Medical costs and accessibility to health care are important issues. It is important to treat patients with the most cost-effective treatment to ensure they can complete the prescribed therapy.

Q: Is there a specific patient or person you’ve worked with who taught you something that will help you be a better provider?A: When parents bring their children to the clinic, there is usually some parental anxiety. When an injury occurs that could have been avoided, there is also guilt. I cared for a pediatric patient who I referred for further evaluation of a severe sunburn. It reinforced the need to discuss sun safety and child safety tips with parents.

Q: What advice would you give to aspiring nurse practitioners?A:The role of nurse practitioners is very diverse. I always encourage nursing students to consider continuing their education to become a nurse practitioner because the role provides the opportunity to be more independent in terms of patient care and opens the door to numerous career options.