Nurses who have a passion for mental health can be trained to have the capability to evaluate, diagnose and attend to several psychiatric disorders. In mental health, the nurses are tasked with enhancing individuals’ general mental and physical wellness, not just psychiatric cases. Nurses focusing on Mental health can work in various health institutions such as General public hospitals, Psychiatric wards, Rehabilitation Centers for substance abuse, private hospitals, and Homecare for the elderly. Work experience for a Psychiatry Nurse ranges from understanding patients’ health needs, drafting treatment plans, dispensing psychotherapy services, to providing all the necessary medications required. For any nurse to be accepted as a psychiatric nurse, they must become a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN), which is achieved after undergoing a one-year training exercise at any local community college (Luu, 2021). Additionally, one must be a Registered Nurse (RN) after undertaking a bachelor’s degree in nursing. Finally, one would be termed a mental health practitioner after a masters’ degree in nursing in advanced practice nursing with a major in psychiatry. This paper will lay out my 2-3year career development plan in the mental health profession as a Psychiatry Nurse.
Graduate Nurse: Target Employers.
After graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, I will start searching for employment in mental health institutions. I will prefer to be employed in an organization that mentors junior nurses to be professionals. I would wish to be actively involved in the practice while being mentored. From the article by Sargent and Olmedo (2013), I learned that transitioning from college to employment can be challenging due to the difference between knowledge and skills acquired in school and those gained through work experience. Therefore, the target employer must have a strategy of training graduate nurses in achieving the required competency. During my first two years of practice, I would like to work for two organizations, New York-Presbyterian Behavioral Health and The New York State Psychiatric Institute at Columbia University. The two institutions seem to have ample resources and a conducive environment for a graduate nurse.
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Psychiatry Nurse Professional Bodies Registration.
As I start my career as a mental health nurse, I will seek membership in two professional bodies that will align me to my profession. American Psychiatric Nurses Association (APNA) and American Nurses Association (ANA) membership will befit me as a graduate nurse.
Benefits of APNA Membership.
APNA membership is recognized worldwide as it accommodates all nurses from every corner of the world. Nurses who are APNA members are privileged to enjoy a dynamic platform for networking, researching, and educating. APNA supply its members with standardized materials and papers that disseminate information on psychiatric-mental health nursing. APNA provides continuous learning programs for mental health nurses, such as the APNA Annual Conference, APNA eLearning Centre, and APNA Annual Clinical Psychopharmacology Institute (Capella University, 2019).
Benefits of ANA Membership.
ANA offers its members a vast networking opportunity, and young members can connect with experienced members through platforms such as online chats and forums. ANA memberships ensure that members are constantly learning through the educational programs, journals, and conferences, thus enhancing their competency. ANA is a good match for graduate nurses as it offers mentorship opportunities which will be a crucial step in excelling in my mental health career (Capella University, 2019).
Advanced Certification .
Advanced certifications are crucial to all minority nurses who aspire to take their careers to higher levels. In my 2-year career plan, I will seek Psychiatric- Mental Health Nurse Practitioner certification. This certification program is essential as it is meant to guide registered nurses on how to dispense psychiatric health services. This program will require my classwork input and 630 hours of supervised practical experience. Upon graduation, I will attain recognition from the American Nurses Credentialing Center (Hunter-Bellevue, n.d.).
Masters Program- Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP)
In my quest to become a Nurse Practitioner, I will enroll for a Master’s program in PMHNP, which is offered online by various universities, such as the University of South Carolina. The course is flexible because it is tailored to fit in individual schedules, and thus, I will pursue it while I practice. This course provides nurses with the knowledge to provide advanced mental health care by integrating principles of behavior, experience, and psychopharmacology (University of South Carolina, n.d.).
Characteristics of Organizations I Would Like to Work for
I would consider working for an organization that offers mentorship programs for graduate nurses. This will help me to attain the much-needed practical experience for my professional growth. Additionally, ongoing training programs will be a crucial characteristic as this will help me learn the organization’s goals and objectives. Finally, I would like to work for an institution that offers leadership opportunities to graduate nurses as this will boost my confidence in the workplace and motivate creativity and innovation.
Importance of Substance Abuse Course in Mental Health Career
The substance abuse course trained me that as a healthcare nurse, I must be ready to provide necessary care to patients and families whose minds, bodies, and lives have degenerated due to abusing drugs and other substances. Tilton (n.d.) explained that substance abuse affects everyone regardless of age, gender, economic level, or cultural background. Thus, a nurse trained on Substance abuse will be best positioned in caring for patients affected by substance abuse.
Conclusion
A BSN graduate can excel in the Psychiatric Mental Health Profession and become a registered Nurse Practitioner in 2-3 years by focusing on but not limited to the above strategy. From the study, it is clear that I must pursue advanced learning and certification while constantly being mentored for me to scale heights in the mental health profession.
References
Capella University. (2019, August 6). 7 reasons to join a professional nursing association . Capella University Blog. Retrieved April 3, 2021, from https://www.capella.edu/blogs/cublog/7-reasons-to-join-a-professional-nursing-association
Hunter Bellevue. (n.d.). Psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner (Advanced certificate) — Hunter college . A Great Public College in New York City | Hunter College. Retrieved April 3, 2021, from https://www.hunter.cuny.edu/nursing/admissions/graduate/psychiatric-mental-health-nurse-practitioner-advanced-certificate
Luu, K. (2021, March 17). Psychiatric and mental health nursing | NurseJournal.org . NurseJournal. Retrieved April 3, 2021, from https://nursejournal.org/careers/psychiatric-nurse/
Sargent, L., & Olmedo, M. (2013). Meeting the needs of new-graduate nurse practitioners: A model to support transition. JONA: The Journal of Nursing Administration , 43 (11), 603-610. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.nna.0000434506.77052.d2
Tilton, D. (n.d.). Substance abuse . Continuing Education for Nurses - Unlimited Nursing CEUs | CEUfast. Retrieved April 3, 2021, from https://ceufast.com/course/print/6079
The University of South Carolina. (n.d.). Psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner - College of nursing | University of South Carolina . Retrieved April 3, 2021, from https://sc.edu/study/colleges_schools/nursing/academic_programs/masters_programs/pmhnp.php
