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Why become a mental health nurse essay
My interest in mental health nursing
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Psychiatric nursing has always been my passion and I am ready to put my experience and leadership skills to use and further my career as a Mental Health Nurse Practitioner. The psychiatric population is underserved and one of my goals is to continue working in fields others will not. I have always longed for the increased autonomy and decision making Nurse Practitioners use. Broken systems and burnt out mental health workers are a problem. For example, calling an on call physician in a patient crisis only to be given an order for something that is completely useless by a physician who does not care, has always bothered me. I look up to the Nurse Practitioners at work and have always noticed their kind, caring and responsive nature. I want …show more content…
to be the type of provider that demonstrates intellect and empathy, while providing the most effective treatment for the individual or their loved ones. After high school, I started taking science and math classes at a community college because those were the subjects I excelled at. I quickly learned biology and the human body were my main interests. Knowing I also wanted to work with people, I choose nursing school. I wish I could say I loved nursing school. I didn’t. Nursing wasn’t the perfect fit for me, but I continued my degree and got a nursing job because that is what a responsible young adult does. At first, I worked in a surgery center, but when I got a job in a psychiatric ward, I absolutely loved it! It turns out nursing was for me, and psychiatric nursing was my calling. I have loved every minute of caring for individuals with mental illness. I’ve always wanted to further my degree and step into the role of diagnosing and treating mental illness. In my undergraduate studies, I did not exactly try hard, because I wasn’t completely invested. At this point in my career I am 100% invested and ready to step into the mental health nurse practitioner role. For the first time, I am choosing to go to school, it is not just something I am supposed to do. I am excited to learn, soak up all the knowledge I can get, and try to graduate at the top of my class. After this education, one day, I have plans to further my education with a doctorates degree and teach as well. Early in my career I worked with children and adolescents in a state hospital.
These children had the worst histories I have seen in mental health nursing. The opportunity to work with this population was the most difficult and honorable thing I have done in my life. Part of my goal as a nurse practitioner will be to work with the underserved and difficult populations that others are not willing to work with. The next four years I spent floating around seven different units at CenterPointe Hospital. Some of the units include adult detox unit, geriatrics, acute adult, chemical dependency residential programs, and adolescent units. Child and adolescents are my passion but working with dual diagnosis, acute adults and geriatric/dementia populations gave me a well-rounded experience. I have also worked the last 3 years PRN as an eating disorder nurse. This vast experience working with every psychiatric population has taught me much about psychiatric disorders and provided me with balanced work history. In addition, I have worked as charge nurse of these units and gained leadership skills. I intent to use the experience and knowledge from my nursing career to help me assess, diagnose and treat, as a nurse
practitioner. In conclusion, I am happy I fell into mental health nursing and at this point in my career I am ready for a challenge, increased autonomy and most importantly, a new avenue to help patients. The increase in professional responsibility and additional capabilities working as a Nurse Practitioner is an extraordinary opportunity. I can’t wait to be able to follow my patients through their stay at a psychiatric hospital or grow a relationship with them through a series of office visits. Going through the psychiatric nurse practitioner program at the University of South Alabama will provide me with the education I need to further my career. It will be my privilege to treat the mental health population as a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner and help those who cannot help themselves.
Never has it been more critical to provide high quality care in the hospital while being cost effective. The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (American Association of Colleges of Nursing [AACN], 2005) has created the Clinical Nurse Leader (CNL) role to introduce lateral integration of care for specified groups by creatively and intentionally using a variety of health care resources (AACN, 2005). The CNL’s purpose is to aid in various departments of the health care system including the psychiatric department. Although there is continuous tension between medical care and psychiatric care and choosing which is more important for a patient, the Clinical Nurse Leader is intended to bridge the gap between the two.
This patient in particular needs a nurse with therapeutic communication skills to establish and maintain the trusting nurse/patient relationship so vital to her recovery. When a child experiences abuse, in addition to hurt and anger, the victim has their sense of right and wrong challenged. Whether psychological, physical, sexual, or emotional abuse, the victim may believe they deserve what they are going through. This causes low s...
Rather than preparing graduates in education or consulting as previous graduate nursing programs had done, this program educated psychiatric-mental health nurses as therapists with the ability to assess and diagnose mental health issues as well as psychiatric disorders and treat them via individual, group, and family therapy (ANA, 2014). Thus, the Psychiatric Mental Health Clinical Nurse Specialist (PMH-CNS), one of the initial advanced practice nursing roles (Schmidt, 2013), was born. After Community Mental Health Centers Act of 1963 led to deinstitutionalization of individuals with mental illness, PMH-CNSs played a crucial role in reintegrating formerly institutionalized individuals back into community life (ANA, 2014). PMH-CNSs have been providing care in a wide range of setting and obtaining third-party reimbursement since the late 1960’s. In 1974 a national certification for PMH-CNSs was created (APNA, 2010). Subsequently, PMH-CNSs began to be granted prescriptive privileges in the Pacific Northwest in the late 1970s, that practice has now spread to 37 states and the District of Columbia (APNA,
at the orphanage, I was able to help build a sidewalk and a garage for
The Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP), role and job description is providing primary mental health care services, to those with mental health problems, or psychiatric disorders. The PMHNP is required to assess, diagnose, provide treatment plans, prescribe medication therapy, and offer counsel across the lifespan. The PMHNP provides care in a wide range of settings to children, adolescents, adults, the elderly, and their families. This mental healthcare takes place in the primary care settings, emergency rooms, hospitals, outpatient mental health clinics, senior living communities and in private practices. Being culturally competent to care for the ever changing demographics of the United States is necessary. The PMHNP assess and treats in a holistic manor and utilizes evidenced based practice. Regardless of race, gender, age, religion, sexual orientation, political persuasion, or socio economic standing the PMHNP is there to treat. The PMHNP role also includes establishing a therapeutic relationship, being sensitive to many abnormal behaviors, and caring for those frequently distressed emotionally. Collaboration and the ability to make referrals are essential for the PMHNP. Patients present with undiagnosed problems and establishing the proper diagnosis by a qualified PMHNP begins with the initial assessment interview (Gilfedder, Barron, & Docherty, 2010).
The purpose of this assignment is to demonstrate my reflection and understanding in the Role of the Mental Health Nurse in an episode of care supporting and promoting the recovery of service users. According to the National institute for Mental Health (2004) recovery is a process to restore something or return to a state of wellness, is an achievement of quality of life that is acceptable to the person (Ryan 2012).
My interest in pursuing a doctorate degree in counseling psychology has been influenced by a combination of life experiences and an unquenchable thirst for knowledge. Though the path which has led me to this destination is complex, the journey has provided me with the clarity and insight necessary to understand human behavior from a holistic perspective. As I approach the completion of my masters degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, I am faced with the unsettling realization that I have more questions than I do answers. This has fueled my innate desire and motivation to continue challenging myself by attaining a doctorate degree from the University of North Texas.
The opportunity to expand and refine my nursing knowledge has always equated to me attending the University of Alabama School of Nursing’s masters program. With their master’s degree programs earning the number one spot for Top 50 Best Value, the quality of the programs is undeniable. I selected to apply to the psychiatric mental health track because during my undergraduate studies, I realized this was a career worthy study. My brother was diagnosed with bipolar/schizophrenia at fifteen, and I always questioned his lack of motivation and self-care abilities. It was not until taking the Concepts of Behavioral Health Nursing, that I realized the existence of positive and negative symptoms in patients with schizophrenia, and that apathy and learning disabilities were just as much a part of my brother’s illness as hallucinations or delusions. According to Akiko (2004) “Severity of negative symptoms was significantly associated with worse performance on attention/working memory,”(p. 750). With this
What led me to nursing in the beginning was having a passion for people. I love the holistic approach and level of care that nurses bring to the literal bedside table. I knew throughout nursing school that I wanted to advance my education further than bedside nursing. I debated on whether to pursue a master’s degree in nursing and just become a nurse practitioner, but ultimately, I knew I wanted to advance my education even further to help make and promote changes in healthcare. By choosing to become a doctorally prepared nurse practitioner, I hope to change the stigma that is attached with being “just a nurse” and show that nurses play a vital role in redesigning
Contemplating on the big responsibility that nurses will have to fulfill in the future, I see myself in a good position. I said that because I love the field and want to do it until I retired God’s willing. It is not impossible to achieve the recommendations on increasing the proportion of nurses with a BSN by 2020. The field of nursing is very fulfilling and anyone who loves people and wants to serve can be a great nurse. I know now I can help a lot to continue their education by being the example of someone who had many obstacles to overcome. Now a month away from receiving her BSN. I had a love in my heart to do more after I became PCA and worked at a nursing home. I took the necessary steps from being a PCA to a BSN. However from the beginning the ride was not easy. I remember like yesterday, when I first got to San Antonio, Texas looking for a better life for my family. I could barely speak English and I had 4 young children. We only had one car so I had to wait for my husband so I could go to school at night to get my GED after I finish taking care of the kids, cleaning and cooking. With this degree I
I have had the opportunity to care for wonderful individuals, each of whom have contributed the fabric of my personal nursing career. Nursing is a profession of both joy and sadness combined. My career has provided me the opportunity to care for those I need. In retrospect I can say that my personal nursing tapestry is comprised of patients who were grateful to a care team, after being revived from suffering a sudden cardiac event, the smile of a trusting child, a hand to be held while working with hospice patients and their families. My current role is a case manager. I seldom have direct contact with patients who have chronic illnesses, yet I am gifted with their trust. I have been given an opportunity to support, care, respect, educate, collaborate and research practice improvement initiatives. I continue to formulate my own nursing philosophy daily. While I experience daily encounters that allow my tapestry to become more colorful and detailed, I allow myself to set new goals. My final nursing goal, is to become a nurse practitioner. I can see myself in the next year working in an academic capacity in becoming a leader in rural health improvement and proficient at educating patients with diabetes and other chronic conditions, speaking at national events, advocating for patients and playing an active role in health policy. In five years I can see myself being ready to embark on another
There are several nurses that have established themselves successfully in the work I am pursuing. The work mainly involves care management, client teaching and patient advocacy. Care management focuses on ensuring that the care that various health care providers offer is cohesive to meet the patients’ needs. Client teaching deals with enabling patient gain knowledge about the medications and health. Patient advocacy is involved with protecting and advancing patients’ rights.
The standards of psychiatric and mental health nursing were first developed in 1995 to create a document that would describe the expectations of a mental health nurse. The standards put forth behaviours expected of professional nurses by incorporating vital information and new trends in the field, and linking these to expected outcomes (CFMHN, 2006). The teaching-coaching function standard is of great importance to the mental health field as it promotes nurses to understand the client's individual needs, supports learning related to those needs, and promotes self-reliance in aiding clients and families to acquire greater ease in living with their mental illness and the accompanying effects (Lawlor, n.d.). Such teaching provides the nurses with a chance to make a difference ...
As a Registered Nurse, I am constantly learning new things every single day. Learning about the body, how the body reacts to certain medications, how mental health ties in so directly to physical health and also how important the basic human needs truly are. I am honored and blessed to be able to call myself a nurse and to be a part of my patients’ healing while they are under my care. I have become a stronger person since I became a nurse, and for that I am truly thankful. It is at this time in my life that I find myself seeking more. Seeking more answers, more knowledge, more autonomy, and most importantly more life and nursing skills. As an RN, I can only do so much for my patients each day, within my scope of practice, and depending on
I would love the opportunity to study nursing as I feel that it will lead me down one of the most demanding and fulfilling career paths. My ambition is to become a mental health nursing due to my own minor issues with anxiety and the fact that a number of my friends and family members have also had mental health issues throughout their life's and this has given me a better understanding of how mental health issues can affect people and has allowed me to realise that your mental health is just as important as your physical health. One in four people will suffer with a mental health problem at some point in their lives and I would love the opportunity to help people during such difficult times in order to enable them to get there lives back on