REPLY QUOTE

5 months ago

Sherwin Jackson 

RE: Discussion – Week 10

COLLAPSE

 The emergence of numerous specializations has made it possible for nurses to focus on a particular area of focus or patient population by meeting certain educational certification requirements and gaining work experience.  Mental health is my chosen nursing specialty within the MSN program. After fulfilling the educational and certification requirements, I will become a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner (PMHNP). According to Chapman et al. (2018), a PMHNP is a registered nurse who has received graduate training in mental health and whose practice is the same as that of a psychiatrist and includes performing diagnostic assessments, evaluating physical health conditions, and managing psychiatric disorders.

 I had difficulties choosing mental health. I was concerned that as a PMHNP, I will have a hard time working in mental health settings because many people have negative attitudes toward mentally ill people. The duty to provide and improve access to mental health services is a factor that drove my decisions.   Due to the rise of mental disorders and the unmet treatment needs of mentally ill patients, I felt that I have the opportunity and professional obligation to improve mental health of Americans. According to Finley (2020), mental illness affects around 20 percent of the United States population aged thirteen years and older annually, totaling around 467 billion dollars in indirect and direct costs per year. Overall, there is limited access to mental health care as less than half of mentally ill patients receive professional treatment.

Professional nursing organizations exist to support the practice of nursing, promote self-regulation, and articulate nursing values. An essential factor in the professional development of a nurse is active membership in one or more professional organizations. Membership offers networking opportunities with colleagues and peers and access to educational resources including publications, conferences, webinars, and websites (Cherry et al., 2019).  The American Psychiatric Nurses Association (APNA) is a professional organization affiliated with mental health nursing.  According to DeCapua (2017), the APNA represents psychiatric nurse practitioners and psychiatric nurses. The APNA supports psychiatric nursing and advocates for mental health care through knowledge dissemination on recovery-focused assessment and treatment of persons with substance use disorders and mental illness.   To become a member of APNA, one is required to download and complete the APNA membership application form and mail the form together with the payment.  The student membership fee is 75 dollars while regular membership fee is 135 dollars (DeCapua, M. (2017).

References

Chapman, S. A., Phoenix, B. J., Hahn, T. E., & Strod, D. C. (2018). Utilization and Economic Contribution of Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioners in Public Behavioral Health Services. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 54(6), S243-S249. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2018.01.045

Cherry, B., Caramanica, L., Everett, L. Q., Fennimore, L., & Scott, E.  Leveraging the power of Board Leadership in Professional Nursing Organizations. JONA, 49(11), 517-519. DOI: 10.1097/NNA.0000000000000805

DeCapua, M. (2017).  Get to Know the American Psychiatric Nurses Association. https://www.healthecareers.com/articles/career/know-american-psychiatric-nurses-association

 Finley, B. A. (2020). Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioners Meeting Rural Mental Health Challenges. Journal of the American Psychiatric Nurses Association, 26(1), 97-101. https://doi.org/10.1177/1078390319886357

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5 months ago

Sherwin Jackson 

RE: Discussion – Week 10

COLLAPSE

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4 months ago

Elizabeth Brennan 

RE: Response #1 – Discussion – Week 10

COLLAPSE

Hi Sherwin,

Congratulations on choosing the psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner (PMHNP) track.  I acknowledge the difficulty you described with mental health being viewed negatively.  I support your desire to improve access to and the treatment of this specific population.  In 2020, the federal government spent $280 billion on mental health services.  The Unity Agenda of President Biden is a “strategy to transform how our country understands, accesses, and treats mental health” (The White House, 2022, para 1) NURS 6003 Week 10 Discussion: Examining Nursing Specialties.  The strategy addresses how the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated the need for mental health care.  The current needs of mental health care are affordable care, expanding access to care, and reducing the economic effects mental health disorders can create (The White House, 2022).  I hope the American Psychiatric Nurses Association (APNA) can assist you with networking, advocay, and inform you of local and national nursing issues in your field (APNA, n.d.).

References

American Psychiatric Nurses Association. (n.d.). Retrieved on July 31, 2022 from https://www.apna.org/

The White House. (2022, May 31).  Reducing the economic burden of unmet mental health needs.  Retrieved on July 31, 2022 https://www.whitehouse.gov/cea/written-materials/2022/05/31/reducing-the-economic-burden-of-unmet-mental-health-needs/#:~:text=The%20Federal%20Government%20covers%20some,from%20the%20U.S.%20Medicaid%20program.

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4 months ago

Ashton Johnson 

RE: Discussion – Week 10

COLLAPSE

Hi Sherwin, 

According to the Psychiatric Times, the mental health specialty is one of the fastest-growing specialties being dominated by non-physician providers (Robinson, 2021). Despite this, there has still been a shortage of mental health nurse practitioners. An article from the Journal for Nurse Practitioners stated “The Health Resources and Services Administration’s Bureau of Health Workforce designated over 5,500 mental health professional shortage areas in the United States, impacting over 110 million Americans” (Kameg & Fradkin, 2021). Mental health has been a large topic of discussion all over the United States and the importance of mental health has become a forefront in healthcare-related discussions. It is good to see more people going into the mental health specialty for nurse practitioners in order to reach more patients. 

Resources

Kameg, B. N., & Fradkin, D. (2021). Despite rates of psychiatric diagnoses, psychiatric mental health nurse practitioners are restricted in Pennsylvania. The Journal for Nurse Practitioners, 17(2), 139–140. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nurpra.2020.12.002

Robinson, S. (2021, February 3). Partnering with Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioners. Psychiatric Times. Retrieved August 6, 2022, from https://www.psychiatrictimes.com/view/psychiatric-mental-health-nurse-practitioners

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4 months ago

Crystal Lewis WALDEN INSTRUCTOR MANAGER

RE: Discussion – Week 10

COLLAPSE

Hi, Sherwin,

Your affiliation with a professional organization will allow you to continue expanding your network. How could your professional network impact your decisions, during your educational journey?

Excellent post!

Dr. Lewis

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4 months ago

Hazel Alejandria 

RE: Discussion – Week 10

COLLAPSE

Hi Sherwin. Thanks for sharing. Becoming a mental health NP was one of my top choices before I finally decided to go for Acute-Gerontological NP. I considered mental health because only a few people are doing it because often, people think it is difficult to deal with mentally ill individuals. Yes, it is difficult but being able to understand a person who is mentally ill needs time and patience and I applaud you for going through it. It has become a stigma in our environment that mentally ill individuals are a lost cause. Mentally ill individuals do not want to seek help early on because of the fear of being judged and the possibility of losing their jobs. A 2019 national poll that was conducted by the American Psychiatric Association (APA) found that mental health stigma is still a major challenge in the workplace and half of workers were worried about discussing mental health issues at their jobs. More than one in three were concerned about retaliation or being fired if they sought mental health care. With this study, they found out that the strongest evidence to decrease stigma is by involving contact with individuals with lived experience with mental illness and efforts with a long-term commitment (American Psychiatric Association, 2020).

American Psychiatric Association. (2020). Stigma, Prejudice and Discrimination Against People with Mental Illness. Retrieved from: Psychiatry.org – Stigma, Prejudice and Discrimination Against People with Mental Illness

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4 months ago

Patricia Wharton 

RE: Discussion – Week 10

COLLAPSE

Hi Sherwin,

Thanks for sharing the information regarding the topic and I appreciate your enrollment in the MS nursing program to evaluate your professional duties to serve humanity. Professional nursing organizations exist to serve the profession of nursing, encourage self-regulation, and define nursing principles. A vital aspect of the professional growth of a nurse is active involvement in one or more organizations. Membership gives networking with friends and coworkers and access to training materials like books, seminars, webinars, and websites. Nurses are the most sought-after Registered Nurses (RNs) in the employment market, and they have a better chance of advancing to leadership and management jobs than ASN nurses do(Jhonson, 2021).

Thank you

References

Jhonson, J. n. (2021, Sep 09). Nursing Specialities. Retrieved from https://nursing.jnj.com/specialty

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4 months ago

Pam Douglas 

RE: Discussion – Week 10

COLLAPSE

Hello Sherwin,

I enjoyed reading your post. You are right about the stigma surrounding individuals with mental health problems. Individuals with mental health disorders often do not seek treatment due to the stigmas, prejudice, and discrimination surrounding individuals with mental health disorders. (Psychiatry.org, 2022) There is a tremendous need for compassionate and dedicated mental health professionals. My current employer hires behavior health specialists who provide resources to individuals seeking help. There is a shortage of behavioral health specialists, and individuals sometimes have to wait months before they can be seen by a provider for an initial consultation. The shortage of mental health care providers was even more apparent during the start of the Covid 19 pandemic. Many of my clients were seeking mental health services during that time, and the providers were booked out for months. You are entering a much-needed and rewarding profession, and your dedication to your profession will be greatly appreciated. Best wishes to you throughout the rest of your academic and professional career.

Reference

Stigma, prejudice and discrimination against people with mental illness. Psychiatry.org – Stigma, Prejudice and Discrimination Against People with Mental Illness. (n.d.). Retrieved August 4, 2022, from https://psychiatry.org/patients-families/stigma-and-discrimination

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4 months ago

Solomon Murray 

RE: Discussion – Week 10

COLLAPSE

Your post was excellent. I completely comprehend your struggles with making the decision to work in the mental health field, and I can sympathize. I’ve never worked as a mental health nurse, so the concept of fully appreciating it has always made me wonder. In my research, I made an effort to concentrate on the aspects of the subject matter that I found most enjoyable. The fact that they provide diagnostic services, psychotherapy, and deal with addiction use is what I appreciate most about the psychiatric NP field. I also like that some mental health professionals work in for-profit or local hospitals, while others provide similar therapies in private clinics. One of my main areas of interest for the community is psychotherapy. To broaden knowledge and show ongoing competence, psychiatric nurse practitioners should undertake lifelong learning in psychotherapy and acquire ongoing training in psychotherapy to enhance one’s resolve to work for mastery and skill in a range of psychotherapeutic methods (APNA, 2022). 

Apna position: Psychotherapy and the Psychiatric-Mental Health Advanced Practice Registered Nurse Role. APNA. (2022, March 14). Retrieved August 5, 2022, from https://www.apna.org/news/psychotherapy-and-the-psychiatric-mental-health-advanced-practice-registered-nurse-role/ 

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4 months ago

Elizabeth Brennan 

RE: Initial Post – Discussion – Week 10

COLLAPSE

I’ve had over fifteen years to consider what type of nursing to specialize in.  This spring, I finally realized that the Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) was the route for me. I’ve worked in cardiac critical care most of my professional life and have desired to continue my degree for the past ten years, but I never wanted to be an acute Nurse Practitioner.  After ten years of working with adults in cardiac critical care, I changed to working with children in public health.  Public health then broadened my limited perspective on the acute necessities of patients to help them function in everyday life.

            In the school system, I realized that about seventy-five percent of my day was related to addressing issues that stemmed from mental health.  The elementary students with undiagnosed learning disabilities or mental health issues came to the nurse’s office presenting with physical systems.  They often just needed a quick break from class or someone to talk to.  Middle school students with learning disabilities or mental health diagnoses came to the clinic primarily for reassurance, and we spent time discussing healthy coping mechanisms.  The high school students needed someone to talk to that wasn’t their peer or parent.  I found that the role of a school nurse required mental health knowledge and skills I didn’t have.  For four years, I ingested every mental health book or journal I could read, and I quickly realized how much I enjoyed this topic of study.  Then, I decided to become a clinical nursing instructor for a local university and found a similar need among the students I’ve taught for the past two years.  Becoming a PMHNP is exciting as I learn additional assessment, diagnosis, and treatment skills to help a part of the population in need.

            As a PMHNP, I could join the American Psychiatric Nurses Association (APNA). There are a variety of options for membership.  To join, a nurse can fill out an application and pay the annual membership fee of $135.  Members may choose a monthly payment option or pay the price in full.  Members can serve on committees, earn contact hours, network with colleagues, and seek election to the Board of Directors (APNA, n.d.).  Echevarria (2018) encourages nurses to evaluate professional organizations based on membership benefits, how they align with their professional role and the organization’s role in advocacy NURS 6003 Week 10 Discussion: Examining Nursing Specialties.

References

American Psychiatric Nurses Association. (n.d.). Retrieved on July 31, 2022 from https://www.apna.org/

Echevarria, I. M. (2018). Make connections by joining a professional nursing organization. Nursing, 48(12), 35-38.

As a cardiac critical care physician who has worked in the field for more than 10 years, at school, you quickly learned that 75% of your time was spent dealing with students’ mental health problems. Practicing public health allowed you to see the immediate needs of people from a different angle than you could have otherwise. You might join the American Psychiatric Nurses Association as a psychiatric nurse practitioner (APNA). There are several ways to become a member. Members can participate on committees, earn contact hours, connect with colleagues, and run for the Board of Directors, among other perks and privileges. In this way, nurses are encouraged to consider the membership advantages of professional organizations(Millender, 2022).

Thank you

References

Millender, E. (2022, July 14). The Cumulative Influence of Perceived Discrimination, Stress, and Coping Responses on Symptoms. Retrieved from https://journals.sagepub.com/home/jap

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4 months ago

Crystal Lewis WALDEN INSTRUCTOR MANAGER

RE: Initial Post – Discussion – Week 10

COLLAPSE

Hi, Elizabeth,

Do you plan to access online chats or forums within your associations’ website to enhance networking opportunities?

Great post!

Dr.Lewis

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4 months ago

Elizabeth Brennan 

RE: Initial Post – Discussion – Week 10

COLLAPSE

Dr. Lewis,

Yes, I believe online forums and discussions within the association website will be helpful for networking and education.  I’ve utilized the National Association of School Nurse forums in the past as a novice school nurse and gained knowledge and insight from other nurses.

Elizabeth

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4 months ago

Kayleigh Haas 

RE: Initial Post – Discussion – Week 10-First reply

COLLAPSE

Hello Elizabeth,

First of all what a huge change shifting from cardiac critical care to the public school system and now Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP). I believe coming from experience working in the school system has opened your eyes to the rising rate of mental health diagnosis in the pediatric population. “In recent years an estimated 10-20% of all children suffer from a mental health condition.” (McCollum & Beattie, 2021). I think it is amazing that you took it upon yourself to learn more about mental health to better serve the population you work with. From an emergency nurse point of view, I believe school systems are failing these students who do simply need someone to talk to. These individuals will benefit from passionate patient-centered nurses like you. “Pediatric mental health presentations to emergency departments (EDs) have shown dramatic increases nationally.” (Sheridan et al., 2020). Unfortunately, many of these children seek counseling and guidance through their school counselors and end up in the ED waiting to see if they are going to be placed on a psychiatric hold. I understand the liability staff working in school systems must feel with this patient population but the emergency department is not an ideal situation for these individuals to get the help they need. If your goal is to continue to work with the pediatric mental health population, I believe you will be a perfect person to provide phenomenal outpatient care. The nursing profession needs more people like you. Thank you for your post.

References:

McCollum, D., & Beattie, T. (2021). Dealing with mental health in the Pediatric Emergency Department. European Journal of Emergency Medicine, 28(5), 335–336. https://doi.org/10.1097/mej.0000000000000822 

Sheridan, D. C., Marshall, R., Nunez Morales, A., & Johnson, K. (2020). Access to outpatient pediatric mental health care after emergency department discharge. Pediatric Emergency Care, 37(12). https://doi.org/10.1097/pec.0000000000002057 

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4 months ago

Sherwin Jackson 

RE: Initial Post – Discussion – Week 10

COLLAPSE

Hello Elizabeth.

 Your post is very insightful . According to Wei et al. (2021), career development reflects a process where one acknowledges and explores their career paths and makes informed decisions that change and shape one’s career. The thrilling part about your career development journey is how you engaged your observation skills within your previous area of specialization to identify your strengths. In most cases, people become stuck to their current positions because they fear trying new roles. However, it is always easy to achieve that goal for those who have identified their strengths and blind spots and are willing to take an extra step. Also, considering the current mental crisis facing the world, there is a need to encourage more nurses to embrace mental health-related courses like psychiatry, mental health nurse practitioner, social work, and psychology. However, your case calls out to healthcare organizations in the United States, especially on the need to ensure that they provide nurses with a chance for career development through training and workshops, which can reduce nurse turnover rates.

References

Ellis, M. (March 27, 2019). The Real Cost of Untreated Mental Illness in America. Constellation Behavioral Health. https://www.constellationbehavioralhealth.com/blog/the-real-cost-of-untreated-mental-illness-in-america/

Wei, L. Z., Zhou, S. S., Hu, S., Zhou, Z., & Chen, J. (2021). Influences of nursing students’ career planning, internship experience, and other factors on professional identity. Nurse Education Today, 99, 104781. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2021.104781

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4 months ago

Solomon Murray 

RE: Initial Post – Discussion – Week 10

COLLAPSE

Hello, Elizabeth Your post on discussion was excellent. I also have experience working with kids, which piqued my interest in a career in mental health. One of the hardest jobs I ever had was as a mental health technician working with adolescents aged 9 to 17. I ended up enjoying my work, which was a factor in my decision to pursue a nursing degree. Your dedication is demonstrated by the fact that you have been reading on your own about mental health. You made a really good point when you said that many of your students had mental health issues and learning problems that hadn’t been properly diagnosed. Even though family violence has been deemed to be prevalent worldwide, child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) frequently fail to detect it and treat infants and adolescents who are living in homes where there is violence (Bunston, 2017)

Bunston W, Franich-Ray C, Tatlow S. A Diagnosis of Denial: How Mental Health Classification Systems Have Struggled to Recognise Family Violence as a Serious Risk Factor in the Development of Mental Health Issues for Infants, Children, Adolescents and Adults. Brain Sci. 2017 Oct 17;7(10):133. doi: 10.3390/brainsci7100133. PMID: 29039808; PMCID: PMC5664060.

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4 months ago

Nicole Emmerich 

RE: Discussion – Week 10

COLLAPSE

​

The nursing specialty I have chosen to purse is becoming a PMHNP (Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner). I have been in nursing for fifteen years and four of them have been directly in behavioral health. The reason I have chosen this specialty is I have seen how greatly of an issue mental health is. I thought I had a pretty good idea between personal and professional experiences, but it is far bigger than I even thought. I would really love to help reduce or even eliminate the stigma surrounding mental health and I really hope to make a positive impact in my patients’ lives. The only real difficulty I had in making this choice is that I wasn’t very confident in going back to school as it has been so long since I have been a student. I was, and sometimes still am, afraid of the time commitment and also my ability to be a successful student.

The factors that drove me to look past my difficulties in making the decision included massive support from loved ones/peers and having faith in myself to become a PMHNP. I figured I won’t know what I am capable of until I try and I know I can do hard things! As far as professional organizations, I have found the three listed in the references section, but one really caught my attention which was The National Association of Psychiatry Mental Health Nurse Practitioners NURS 6003 Week 10 Discussion: Examining Nursing Specialties. In order to become a member, you must create an account, choose a one-year membership tier (licensed or student, $150 or $120), and complete an application which asks about your education, career information, and referral information. (n.d.)I did not complete membership at this time, but may as I get closer to practicums and graduation.

​

(n.d.). Retrieved June 13, 2022, from https://napmhnp.enpnetwork.com/

(n.d.). Retrieved June 13, 2022, from https://www.aappn.org/

(n.d.). Retrieved June 13, 2022, from https://www.ispn-psych.org/

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4 months ago

Elizabeth Brennan 

RE: Response #2 – Discussion – Week 10

COLLAPSE

Hi Nicole,

The federal government spent $280 billion on mental health services in 2020. President Biden has written the Unity Agenda to help transform and address the current mental health crisis (The White House, 2022). The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the need for mental health care, predominantly in young adults. NURS 6003 Week 10 Discussion: Examining Nursing Specialties Mental health has a wide range of diagnoses and severity; therefore, access to affordable care to reduce the economic effects of mental health disorders is critical. Congratulations on selecting the PHMNP program. You will be an asset to changing the negative stigma by providing excellent care and support to your current and future patients in this population.    

I viewed the National Association of Psychiatry Mental Health Nurse Practitioners new website. Although much of the website is still under construction, I could review membership benefits. I hope this nursing organization will provide clinical resources, advocacy, and networking with other professionals in your field (NAPMHNP, n.d.) NURS 6003 Week 10 Discussion: Examining Nursing Specialties.

References

The National Association of Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioners (NAPMHNP). (n.d.). Retrieved on August 1, 2022 from https://napmhnp.enpnetwork.com

The White House. (2022, May 31). Reducing the economic burden of unmet mental health needs. Retrieved on July 31, 2022 https://www.whitehouse.gov/cea/written-materials/2022/05/31/reducing-the-economic-burden-of-unmet-mental-health-needs/#:~:text=The%20Federal%20Government%20covers%20some,from%20the%20U.S.%20Medicaid%20program.

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4 months ago

chinwe chukwumerije 

RE: Discussion – Week 10

COLLAPSE

Nicole, good choice since you have worked in a behavioral setting for almost 15 years; I believe PMHNP will be a breeze for you because of the experience you have acquired over the years. The stigma surrounding mental health is a real threat because people don’t want to be looked down on due to their mental health issues, and as a result, they do not talk about it, and adverse effect happens. Creating awareness with more NP for mental health on board will help.

For someone pursuing a degree in mental health, belonging to a professional organization, the national association of psychiatry mental health practitioners should be a plus because they cover all areas of mental health and positive patients outcome (American Psychiatric Nurses Association, n.d).

          Reference