Complete the following items and incorporate them into the final version of your Academic Success and Professional Development Plan.
- Review the scope and standards of practice or competencies related to your chosen specialty in the resources for this module.
- Review the MSN specializations offered at Walden by viewing the module resource, Walden University. (n.d.). Master of Science in Nursing (MSN).
- Examine professional organizations related to the specialization you have chosen and identify at least one to focus on for this Assignment.
- Reflect on the thoughts you shared in the Discussion forum regarding your choice of a specialty, any challenges you have encountered in making this choice, and any feedback you have received from colleagues in the Discussion.
The Assignment:
Complete the following items and incorporate them into the final version of your Academic Success and Professional Development Plan.
- With the resources specific to the MSN specialization and the, Walden University. (n.d.). Master of Science in Nursing (MSN), shared in this module, write a paragraph or make a Nursing Specialty Comparison table, comparing at least two nursing specialties that include your selected specialization and second-preferred specialization.
- Write a 2- to 3-paragraph justification statement identifying your reasons for choosing your MSN specialization. Incorporate feedback you received from colleagues in this Module’s Discussion forum.
- Identify the professional organization related to your chosen specialization for this Assignment, and explain how you can become an active member of this organization.
Note: Your final version of the Academic Success and Professional Development Plan should include all components as presented the Academic Success and Professional Development Plan template.
Walden University offers master’s program for Nurses seeking to become a nurse practitioner in many specialties. Nurses can specialize in Adult gerontology primary care nurse practitioner, Adult gerontology Acute-care Nurse practitioner, Family nurse practice, and psychiatric and mental health nurse practitioner (Master of Science in Nursing, 2019) Nursing specialty comparison: Family nurse practitioners are nurse practitioners that care for I choose to pursue my Psychiatric and mental Nurse practitioner program at Walden University because I got good recommendations from friends and coworkers who had also graduated from various programs and can attest to how robust the Masters program is at Walden University. The recommendations also include how helpful the staff and academic advisors are in helping students to become successful.
Deciding on the program for my master’s completion was easy for me since earlier on in my career, I was drawn to psychiatric nursing through helping in taking care of a friend who was depressed many fifteen years ago. After that, I took job working at the mental health home care. That opened the door for me as I loved working with mental health patients. During my final year in school when obtaining my bachelor’s degree, I requested to have my clinic ours completed in a behavioral unit to see, what is takes to be a mental health nurse in acute care setting. Not only did I learn a lot from there, I became passionate with working with that group of patients. Naturally I chose to pursue my master’s program in psychiatric and mental health nurse practitioner program. Psychiatric and mental health nurse practitioners work with all groups of patients that are mentally challenged both in acute care and clinic setting. As a psychiatric nurse practitioner, I will assess, diagnose, provide therapy, and prescribe medications for patients with psychiatric disorders, medical organic brain disorders, and substance abuse problems (Walden University, n.d.)
I choose a psychiatric and mental health nurse practitioner (PMHNP) program based on curiosity and my passion for helping the mentally ill. After obtaining an associate degree in nursing, I worked in homecare primarily with people who have a mental illness I enjoyed working with this group of people. When I was ready to pursue a higher degree in a provider position, I naturally choose what I was passionate about. A friend and coworker recommended a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner program through Walden University due to its flexibility and robust application. As a PMHNP, I will assess, diagnose, provide therapy, and prescribe medications for patients with psychiatric disorders, medical organic brain disorders, and substance abuse problems (Walden University, n.d.)
Moreover, the job prospects for PMHNP has been on the increase. The National Institute of mental health (2018) has stated that nearly one in five people in America has a mental illness. This number translates to 46 million people. With these numbers on the rise, I know that I will never be out of a job. There was no difficulty in me deciding to go into the mental health field. Earlier on during my career, I had the opportunity to work not only with the mentally challenged but also other patients that had more medical problems but over the years, I had developed a deep passion for patients who have a mental illness. With inspiration from a friend and five years of experience working with psychiatric and mentally ill patients, it is clear PMHNP is the right choice for me. Mental illness is one of the most significant health issues facing America, and NPS must come together to be part of the solution (AANP, n.d.). As a PMHP, I wanted to be part of the group offering a solution to the problem. My decision to go into the psychiatric and mental health nurse practitioner program was based on two factors- curiosity and passion. Fifteen years ago, a friend mine was battling depression, and I watched how debilitating this can be, and that got me curious. Why is she suffering from depression? I would visit my friend at the psychiatric ward, and while at home, I will always check up on her. Caring for her made me develop an interest in mental health, and that was the beginning of my decision to go into the field of Mental health. While I was seeking a bachelor’s degree in nursing, I requested to have my capstone hours completed in a behavioral health unit to see what it takes to work with this group of people. At the end of my clinical, not only did I gain extensive knowledge I also enjoyed working there too.
American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) is an American organization formed in 2013 by a merger between the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners and the American College of Nurse Practitioners to provide nurse practitioners with a unified way to network and advocate their issues (AANP, n.d.). By joining the (AANP), I will be empowered to advance quality health care through practice, education, advocacy, research, and leadership (AANP, n.d.) Membership is by an online application and payment of an annual fee of $135 for regular nurse practitioners and a fee of $55 for students enrolled in the nurse practitioner program. Joining AANP will also provide access to the growing specialty practice group of psych and mental health community that engages with other like-minded NPs with interest in Psych mental health (AANP, n.d.).
Step-by-step explanationAdams, S. M., & Black, P. (2016). American Psychiatric Nurses Association—Transitions in Practice Certificate Program. Nursing administration quarterly, 40(3), 225-236.
Patzel, B., Ellinger, P., & Hamera, E. (2007). Tomorrow’s psychiatric nurses: where are we today in providing students’ clinical experiences?. Journal of the American Psychiatric Nurses Association, 13(1), 53-60.
Walden University. (n.d.). Walden University Catalog. Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner – Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) Retrieved October 30, 2019, from https://catalog.waldenu.edu/preview_program.php? catoid=168&poid=65672
Mental health Information. (2019, February). In National Institute of Mental Health. Retrieved from https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/mentalillness.shtml
