Why Otolaryngology Is a High-Impact Specialty for Nurse Practitioners
An AANP Otolaryngology Community leader shares why this specialty delivers clinical challenge, procedural depth and life-changing outcomes for patients.
Otolaryngology as a specialty focuses on the ears, nose and throat — but that’s hardly all, says Maria Colandrea, DNP, NP-C, CORLN, FAANP, FFNMRCSI. “You think this area is pretty small,” she says, making a circle around her face, “but it’s not.” Colandrea is co-chair of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners® (AANP) Otolaryngology Community, and over a video interview she shared why all nurse practitioners (NPs) looking for a challenging but rewarding practice may want to approach otolaryngology with open ears and an open mind.
Finding the Right Fit: An NP’s Path to Otolaryngology
Like many NPs, Colandrea initially went back to school after becoming a nurse to build upon her current career and to enhance her caregiving abilities. “I thought being an NP was something that would be exciting and meaningful, and where I can really make an impact in patient’s lives a little more than just being at the bedside,” she recalls. After graduating, Colandrea moved from primary care into gastroenterology, then cardiology and dermatology. Finding herself in a new position as a case manager that she actively disliked, she jumped at the chance when she learned a position in otolaryngology was available.
“I just fell into it,” she says of her current area of expertise. “But this has been the best career and specialty ever.” Colandrea says that one of the joys of otolaryngology is the variety of work she does and the ability to immediately and positively impact a patient’s quality of life. “I can see someone walk in with hearing loss and acute hearing change, and you look in their ear and it is full of wax. You clean it out, they can hear and they think you’re a miracle worker […] it kind of changes people’s lives.”
Colandrea also explains that “we’ve diagnosed a lot of head and neck cancers,” and recalls seeing one asymptomatic patient where her examination was absolutely crucial. “He came in for hearing loss, and I looked in his mouth and he had tonsil cancer. It was very early. He had no symptoms, but we were able to do surgery, remove the tonsil. He didn’t need chemo, radiation…that was lifesaving and life-changing, right? This specialty is amazing.”
A Specialty That Matches NP Skill, Scope and Curiosity
In addition to her work with patients, Colandrea has also written several clinical practice guidelines on conditions like tinnitus, sleep apnea and Meniere’s disease. As she contributes to a better understanding of her specialty, she is also excited to see new developments in treating patients.
“We’re using biologics for patients with nasal polyps,” she explains. Previously, “we surgically removed the polyps, but in a lot of those patients, their polyps come back. The biologics that we now give patients have been lifechanging because they block the sensitivity of all the interleukins and all the things that your body is creating to form these polyps. I’ve had a number of patients that we’ve treated back to normally breathing, functioning and not being on antibiotics. It’s, again, lifechanging.”
NPs looking for their specialty may find otolaryngology as appealing as Colandrea, especially if they’re interested in surgery. “There are a lot of procedures,” she says, “So if NPs coming into the field want to do more hands-on, more procedure-based things, this is a great opportunity to do that.” She shares a few of the procedures she’s done over the years. “I do put in ear tubes, I debride ears. I’ve taken bugs out of people’s ears, hearing aid domes, Q-tips. We do a procedure called laryngoscopy where we pass a scope through their nose and we look at the voice box to see the vocal cord moving and if they have cancer, or any base of tongue or posterior pharynx lesions. If someone comes in with sudden hearing loss, we can inject their eardrum with steroid, right through the middle ear.”
Even with the innovations taking place in her specialty, Colandrea still seems most excited about being able to take care of patients and see results. “People don't walk into my office and leave like I cured them,” she says. “But for a lot of things, they do leave and they're actually better.”
Connect, Collaborate and Lead in Otolaryngology Practice
NPs who specialize in caring for patients with conditions that affect the ear, nose and throat are invited to join the AANP Otolaryngology Community!
This AANP Community connects NPs practicing in otolaryngology through an interactive online forum designed for collaboration, shared learning and clinical problem-solving. Members exchange insights, discuss emerging evidence and contribute to the advancement of otolaryngology practice across care settings.