When a patient with heart failure goes to the cardiac intensive care unit at the University of Colorado Hospital, one of the first faces they may see is nurse practitioner Emily Benton, PhD, NP.
As a cardiovascular critical care operations specialist and lead nurse practitioner with the hospital’s advanced heart failure and transplant team, Benton is involved in all facets of patient care, from admission to discharge.
For many of these patients, they are struggling to talk or even breathe when they first enter the ICU. Being an advanced practice provider (APP), Benton prioritizes intervening quickly while also building trust with patients as they navigate their treatment, whether it be monitoring their responsiveness to medication or having difficult conversations about what they want to happen if they die. Benton can then relay this valuable information to physicians to help ensure the patients are getting what they need and want.
It's this patient-centered approach that has led to Benton developing long-lasting relationships with patients, even earning a CU School of Medicine Distinguished Clinician Award in 2024.
In light of National APP Week, celebrated annually on the fourth week of September, we recently spoke with Benton about her career, how she builds trust and navigates difficult conversations with patients, and the value of APPs in the health care system.