My Selected Specialization, Second-Preferred, and Other Specialization
The mental health of severely or chronically ill adolescents and older adults is given considerable attention in the training of psychiatric mental health nurse practitioners. These nurses usually perform assessments, test therapeutical interventions, and propose treatment and care plans in healthcare units and hospital settings using their experience. Family nurse practitioner (my second-preferred specialization) involves caring for all family members, including neonates and adolescents. This is achieved by assessing, diagnosing, and treating common medical conditions and providing disease-preventive measures. Family nurse practitioners (FNPs) deal with everything, from childhood communicable diseases to persistent medical conditions in older members of the family (Hoskins et al., 2018). These nurses work in a variety of settings, including but not limited to primary care centers, clinics, private medical organizations, and public health divisions. Contrarily, adult gerontology nurse practitioners focus on acute care for adults by specializing in medical conditions that affect the aging population.
Comparison
Other than diagnosing, treating, and managing acute mental illnesses, Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioners (PMHNPs) offer psychotherapy, prescribe medicine for acute mental disorders and educate patients on different self-care procedures and therapeutic interventions. FNPs, in contrast, are experienced nurses who focus on medical treatment in families and deal with patients of all ages. While PMHNPs mostly work in rehabilitation facilities, FNPs often work as primary care providers in private clinics, either with or without physicians’ oversight (Johnson et al., 2020). In terms of commonality, both FNPs and PMHNPs are clinical specialists who use their expertise to diagnose and treat medical illnesses with a focus on improving patient outcomes and disease prevention. The section below highlights my rationale for selecting the PMHNP specialization.
Reasons for Choosing PMHNP Specialization
Owing to the increasing American population and the dynamic nature of healthcare, PMHNPs are in high demand. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, there will be a 35 percent increase in job postings for PMHNPs by 2023 (Johnson et al., 2020). Additionally, one can join the multifaceted healthcare team and improve their corroborative skills. The occupation, furthermore, and the profession offer a variety of opportunities for education, career progression, and independence, along with competitive salaries and allowances. The specification provides multiple clinical career paths and leadership prospects. To support its staff members in furthering their careers in this field, many facilities provide tuition assistance as well.
Furthermore, since I enjoy working on new projects every day, the psych-mental health nurse practitioner program is a fast-paced and fascinating field for me. There are never two identical days at work, as one regularly receives new patients with different needs. During a single shift, prescriptions are given, diagnostic tests are conducted and results are analyzed, and specialized equipment is leveraged to perform different therapies (Walker, 2018). The segment that follows presents the organization that is associated with my specialization program and how different nurses in this niche (including myself) can enroll for membership.
Professional Organization Related to PMHNP
The American Psychiatric Nurses Association (APNA) is a professional organization related to PMHNP. I can join this association via a student membership program as a prospective RN enrolled in an approved nursing specialization for a fee of $12.5 per month (American Nurses Association, 2015). Additionally, nurses who desire to join the APNA have a range of membership options. However, it is important to note that being an active psychiatrist is not a requirement for participation because the group has an impartial community-building ethos. Any registered nurse working under PMHNP nursing and authorized to work in the U.S. may enroll for a subscription of $132 per year under the general active membership category (American Nurses Association, 2015). Whereas Licensed Vocational and Practical Nurses are eligible to join for a fee of $145 annually, their rights to hold office positions and vote are constrained (American Nurses Association, 2015). Therefore, nurses employed in pertinent departments such as research, telemetry, training, or healthcare are all qualified to enroll.
References
American Nurses Association. (2015). Code of ethics for nurses with interpretive statements.
Hoskins, K., Grady, C., & Ulrich, C. (2018). Ethics education in nursing: Instruction for future generations of nurses.OJIN: The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing, 23(1).
Johnson, J. L., Adkins, D., & Chauvin, S. (2020). A review of the quality indicators of rigor in qualitative research. American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, 84(1).
Walker, A. (2018). 10 networking tips for nurses who hate networking. Nurse.org.