Congratulations, it is an Honor to Feature
Kristin Farino Austria, NP, Urology Nurse Practitioner, Urology of Virginia
Every day, Kristin Austria meets patients who feel anxious and embarrassed about a medical condition that is almost always treatable.
A specialist in overactive bladder (OAB) at Urology of Virginia, Austria aims to put patients at ease and then discuss lifestyle changes, medications, targeted physical therapy programs and minimally invasive procedures to help resolve urinary urgency, frequency and incontinence.
Both physicians and advanced practice providers (APPs) now refer advanced OAB cases to Austria, a nurse practitioner (NP) based in Virginia Beach. She also is the only APP in the practice offering Botox injections, which is one of the advanced treatments for OAB.
“I use ‘quality of life’ a lot in conversations with my patients,” Austria says. “If a problem is negatively affecting the way a person lives each day, we need to do something about it. When patients find a treatment that works for them, they are so happy – and so am I.”
Austria’s female and male patients regularly share fears about not being able to find a public bathroom during outings or feeling urine leak through absorbent pads onto their clothing. Many also have assumed that incontinence is an inevitable part of aging.
“I tell them, ‘No, it’s not normal to be urinating on yourself, so let’s figure out the best strategy to fix this,’” Austria relates. “Inevitably, the look on their faces is just relief.”
A Virginia Beach native, Austria has been an NP at Urology of Virginia since 2017. She spent more than five years as Lead APP. During that time, the number of practice APPs grew from seven to more than 30, many of whom she trained.
Additionally, Austria has participated in multiple research trials on new incontinence treatments and mastered outpatient procedures such as cystoscopy, Botox and peripheral nerve evaluation (PNE).
Botox injections, which can be performed in-office in just minutes, generally allow patients to stop taking daily OAB medications. And sometimes, simple lifestyle tweaks are the answer: avoiding caffeinated drinks, for example, or acidic or spicy foods.
One patient merely stopped mixing berries in her morning smoothie, Austria relates: “That was literally all it took for her symptoms to improve, and she was so grateful.”
A graduate of Princess Anne High School, Austria went to Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) planning to be a dentist. She gravitated toward medicine while taking her grandmother, who suffered from congested heart failure, leukemia and breast cancer, to doctors’ appointments.
“I realized how much I love taking care of people and making a real difference,” Austria notes. “My MeMaw was the same way. She was so proud that I was a nurse and going to be a nurse practitioner.”
Austria completed the nursing program at the Sentara College of Health Sciences and earned a bachelor’s degree in Nursing at VCU. As an RN, she worked in cardiac and emergency room settings, where she first stepped into leadership roles.
In the spring of 2017, Austria finished a Master of Science in Nursing-Family Nurse Practitioner through the Boston-based Simmons College Graduate Studies program. Interested in women’s health, she started at Urology of Virginia only a few months later.
Outside work, Austria stays busy with her two sons, ages 7 and 10, who love baseball, camping, fishing, riding bikes and decorating their house for holidays. Now without the administrative duties of Lead APP, she is excited to focus more on her own practice.
“I love listening to patients and helping them feel comfortable,” she says. “I take pride in how much they come to trust me.”
We are grateful for local Nurse Practitioners and Physician Assistants who serve our healthcare community! Please let us know if there is an NP or PA you would like to see honored in a future edition. holly@hrphysician.com
