COLLAPSE
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Introduction
There are many avenues a nurse can take when it comes to their degree. They can get a master’s degree in nursing that could be at the bedside or maybe more towards a managerial or educational approach. There are many factors that can influence a person’s decision along with challenges. There are also a lot of professional organizations that are geared towards specific areas of nursing that someone can join based off of their interests.
Nursing Specialty
When it came to getting my master’s degree, I already knew I wanted it to be in the acute care nurse practitioner setting. I have done acute and critical care nursing since I was in school for my associate’s degree as a patient care technician. I fell in love with this field of nursing and I really enjoy being at the bedside. I knew that if I wanted to pursue my education further that I didn’t want to get away from the bedside entirely. I chose the acute care route because they are more likely to work in hospital and critical care settings such as E.R.’s and ICU’s, whereas FNP work in a more traditional outpatient setting. (nursejournal.org, n.d.)
Difficulties
One difficulty I had when it came to deciding whether or not I wanted to do this was cost. I am already in debt from my associates and bachelor’s degree. The other difficulty I found was expanding my comfort zone. I have been doing acute care/critical care bedside nursing for the past seven years and it is what I am comfortable with. The idea that as a nurse practitioner you will have more patient responsibility and will be practicing more independently is a frightening idea because I don’t want to mess something up.
Professional Organization
The American Association of Critical Care Nurses, or AACN, is an organization that is geared towards my career choice. There are over 100,000 nursing members. Annually, it cost $78 or $52 for a nursing student who does not have their R.N. license yet. (AACN.org, n.d.). This organization has a number of articles, CEU’s, conferences, etc. that would be aimed towards my interest. They also have a variety of resources for any type of nurse, whether someone is a new, experienced, advanced practice or manager or educator. (AACN.org, n.d.)
Summary
There are many areas of nursing and not everyone has the same interests when it comes to what they choose to do with their career path. I chose the acute care nurse practitioner program and I am very excited to see where it takes me. I prefer the critical care arena versus other fields and I didn’t want to be far from the bedside. There are many organizations a nurse can join, but the AACN is more geared towards what I am interested in.
Resources
American Association of Critical Care Nurses. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.aacn.org.
FNP + ACNP Core Differences. (n.d.). Nurse Journal. Retrieved from https://www.nursejournal.org/family-practice/fnp-vs-acnp-core-differences/
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Response
Hello Amanda, critical care nursing is an excellent nursing field with a broader scope of practice compared to other medical departments. Often, patients admitted to critical care areas, including intensive care units, emergency departments, and burn units, are volatile and unstable, and may require emergent medical and nursing interventions (Ulrich et al., 2019). Usually, the intensive care nurse has to intervene even before a physician is available to save the patient’s life. Although critical care nursing is a challenging responsibility, especially in acting independently, long working hours on one’s feet, and detaching emotionally from self because of attending to critically sick patients, it is a highly rewarding responsibility (Ulrich et al., 2019). For instance, critical care nurses are required to have in-depth education levels to function effectively in providing quality and safe care. As a result, their compensation is higher compared to that of registered nurses. Also, there are numerous job opportunities for intensive care nurses. For example, after acquiring certification, an intensive care nurse can work in post-operative rooms, neonatal intensive care unit, oncology ICU, cardiac ICU, neuro care ICU, among other departments that attend to critically ill patients (Cribbin et al., 2018).
References
Cribbin, D., Quill, U., & Power, M. (2017). Implementation of a Critical Care Nurse Career Pathway. International Journal of Integrated Care, 17(5).
Ulrich, B., Barden, C., Cassidy, L., & Varn-Davis, N. (2019). Critical care nurse work environments, 2018: Findings and implications. Critical care nurse, 39(2), 67-84.
Chienyezuo Anaba
RE: Discussion – Week 10
COLLAPSE
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Introduction
I am in the Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) specialty. The Nurse Practitioner’s (N.P.) scope of practice includes assessment, diagnoses, and treatment of acute and chronic diseases (American Association of Nurse Practitioners, n.d.). It also includes counseling, care coordination, and patient education (American Association of Nurse Practitioners, n.d.). The PMHNP is more specialized to individuals and families with mental health illnesses and disorders including identifying risk factors for such disorders (American Psychiatric Nurses Association, 2020a). The PMHNP also contributes to the improvement of patient care and the health care sector as a whole through policy development, quality improvement, practice evaluation, and health care reform (American Psychiatric Nurses Association, 2020a).
Why I Chose the PMHNP Specialty
When I began my nursing degree I had 2 specialties of choice. It was either I was headed for the nurse anesthetist program or the PMHNP program. I had the opportunity to be in an operating room during surgery and I observed the nurse anesthetist work and admired it. On the other hand, I also wanted to become a PMHNP because this was more personal — I have a family member who has a mental illness. I finally nested on the PMHNP program because it a personal goal to become a mental health professional. Having someone close to me who had a mental health illness made me realize the need for more mental health workers. I remember that when my family member developed her mental disorder, it was difficult to find treatment around us. This delayed her treatment. Today, about 56 million in America are living with mental illness or substance use disorder that impacts themselves, their families, and the community negatively (American Association of Nurse Practitioners, 2019). Between 2003 to 2013 the number of psychiatrists per 100,000 US residents declined by 10.2% (Chapman, Phoenix, Hahn & Strod, 2018). It is estimated by 2025 the mental health workforce is going to be short by 250,000 professionals (American Association of Nurse Practitioners, 2019). Therefore, seeing the dearth in the mental health workforce now and in the future made my decision to become a PMHNP easier. It is my goal to increase the workforce in underserved communities.
Conclusion
I am happy with the choice I have made will continue to pursue education and other professional activities that will further the growth and development of mental health disease prevention, diagnosis and treatment, and the mental health workforce. That is why I have joined the American Psychiatric Nurses Association (APNA). To join, just go to their website, scroll to the membership tab, click ‘join today’, and pay the dues. By joining, I have connected with a vast group of psychiatric mental health (PMH) nurses, have access to exceptional resources and programs and have opportunities to advance the PMH nursing profession (American Psychiatric Nurses Association, 2020b)
Reference
American Association of Nurse Practitioners. (n.d.). About N.P.s and AANP. Retrieved April 26, 2020, from https://www.aanp.org/about
American Association of Nurse Practitioners. (2019, April 24). Report: Shortage of Trained Professionals a Growing Threat to U.S. Mental Health System. Retrieved April 26, 2020, from https://www.apna.org/m/pages.cfm?pageid=6581
American Psychiatric Nurses Association. (2020a). Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurses. Retrieved April 24, 2020, from https://www.apna.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=3292
American Psychiatric Nurses Association. (2020b). Why Join? Retrieved April 26, 2020, from https://www.apna.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=3680
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.
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Response
Hi Chienyezuo, mental health is paramount to the overall health of an individual. The World Health Organization defined health as a complete state of mental, physical, and social wellbeing of an individual, and not merely the absence of disease. However, mental health has not been embraced in most communities, and when an individual has a mental disease; it is regarded as a taboo. This, coupled with the shortage of mental health practitioners, especially in rural and minority groups’ delays treatment (Butryn et al., 2017). Mental health does not only affect an individual, but it also affects the family, community, and society as a whole. According to Olfson et al., 2019, 46.4% of individuals experience a mental illness in the course of their lives in the U.S., with 5% suffering from mental illness yearly. In any adult who has a mental illness in the U.S., 14.4% have one disorder, 5.8% have two diseases, while 6% suffer from more than three mental illnesses. Only 41% of all individuals suffering from mental disorders receive professional treatment in the United States (Olfson et al., 2019). Therefore, there is an urgent need for the supply of skilled, educated, and trained mental health care workforce.
References
Butryn, T., Bryant, L., Marchionni, C., & Sholevar, F. (2017). The shortage of psychiatrists and other mental health providers: causes, current state, and potential solutions. International Journal of Academic Medicine, 3(1), 5.
Olfson, M., Wang, S., Wall, M., Marcus, S. C., & Blanco, C. (2019). Trends in serious psychological distress and outpatient mental health care of U.S. adults. JAMA Psychiatry, 76(2), 152-161.