Online learning program for MSN is designed to assist students in the nursing profession make a difference in the field of health care. When selecting a profession, it is crucial to first consider the passion towards the course. It is also important to reassess your strengths, where you would like to see yourself in the next 5 years, and the group you prefer working with (Alquwez, 2020). In the discussion post written by Romeo, the author has made it clear the type of work setting he prefers. At Walden University, there are about eight distinct specializations. A practitioner can either work as a specialty nurse or nurse practitioner.
The desire to offer better care to family and patients is indeed a good mantra to start with. However, many people believe that nurse practitioners are limited to family practice only. That is not always the case with nursing profession (Vos, Boonstra, Kooistra, Seelen & Offenbeek, 2020). The university offers different nurse specializations. Each specialty offers the student an opportunity to take on extra responsibilities including examining patients, diagnosing illness, providing treatment, and prescribing medications. By choosing one of the specialty, Romeo has demonstrated the wish to focus on nursing education.
Regardless of the choice a person takes, specialization in the nursing profession is crucial as it helps to differentiate a practitioner in the field and aligns one’s interests with career goals. NLN is one organization that supports strategies for improving patient outcomes through effective collaboration and communication. The organization provides students with the opportunity to explore the most current health topics in collaboration with experts who serve as leaders in the healthcare system. Discussion Examining Nursing Specialties NURS 6003
Discussion: Examining Nursing Specialties NURS 6003 References
Alquwez, N. (2020). Examining the Influence of Workplace Incivility on Nurses’ Patient Safety Competence. Journal of Nursing Scholarship, 52, 3, 292-300.
Vos, J. F. J., Boonstra, A., Kooistra, A., Seelen, M., & Offenbeek, M. (2020). The influence of electronic health record use on collaboration among medical specialties. Bmc Health Services Research, 20, 1, 1-11.
Peer Response
Hello O…, I agree with your response to Romeo with the increased demand for primary care services across the country and the number of new primary care graduates dwindling. States may need to look for an alternative supply of primary care providers especially in rural and underserved inner city areas. The demographics and economics of these locations present exacerbating challenges like accessibility, quality, and cost to the U.S. healthcare system. (Barnes et al., 2018) To overcome the short supply of many locals want to utilize nurse practitioners (NP) as one method to alleviate these challenges. Evidence supports the notion that nurse practitioners provide care comparable to physicians in terms of quality, utilization, and satisfaction metrics.
One particular specialty where the implementation of a (NP) could make immediate impact to the area is home-based primary care practices. Some research data shows approximately 93% of Medicare spending is for beneficiaries with multiple chronic conditions (Poghosyan et al., 2019). Costs of poorly coordinated or delayed care for this vulnerable population are staggering—not just measured in dollars and cents but overall psychosocial burdens of poor health and diminished quality of life. A key to solve this dilemma is offering to fill Home-based primary care (HBPC) practices with (NP) which can offer an effective way to meet the needs of older adults who find it difficult, if not impossible, to leave home for medical care with an overall cost saving to Medicare. According to
(Wolff-Baker & Ordona, 2019) Nurse practitioners (NPs) provide more than 825,000 HBPC visits per year.
Discussion: Examining Nursing Specialties NURS 6003 References
Barnes, H., Richards, M. R., McHugh, M. D., & Martsolf, G. (2018). Rural and nonrural primary care physician practices increasingly rely on nurse practitioners. Health Affairs, 37(6), 908–914. https://doi.org/10.1377/hlthaff.2017.1158
Poghosyan, L., Timmons, E. J., Abraham, C. M., & Martsolf, G. R. (2019). The economic impact of the expansion of nurse practitioner scope of practice for Medicaid. Journal of Nursing Regulation, 10(1), 15–20. https://doi.org/10.1016/s2155-8256(19)30078-x
Wolff-Baker, D., & Ordona, R. (2019). The expanding role of nurse practitioners in home-based primary care: Opportunities and challenges. Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 45(6), 9–14. https://doi.org/10.3928/00989134-20190422-01
Required Readings
Bickford, C. J., Marion, L., & Gazaway, S. (2015). Nursing: Scope and standards of practice, third edition – 2015. Retrieved from http://ebooks.iospress.nl/publication/12524
Cherry, B., Caramanica, L, Everett, L. Q., Fennimore, L., & Elaine, S. (2019). Leveraging the power of board leadership in professional nursing organizations. JONA: The Journal of Nursing Administration, 49(11), 517-519.
Echevarria, I. M. (2018). Make connections by joining a professional nursing organization. Nursing, 48(12), 35–38.
Truant, R., & Chan, R. J. (2017). Future ready: Strengthening oncology nursing leadership in the context of professional oncology nursing organizations. Canadian Oncology Nursing Journal, 27(1), 2-4.
Walden University. (n.d.). Master of Science in Nursing (MSN). Retrieved November 14, 2018, from https://www.waldenu.edu/masters/master-of-science-in-nursing
Document: Academic Success and Professional Development Plan Template (Word document)
Choose among the following to review your specialization’s Scope and Standards of Practice or Competencies:
American Nurses Association. (2015). Nursing informatics: Scope and standards of practice (2nd ed.). Silver Spring, MD: Author.
“The Scope of Nursing Informatics Practice: Functional Areas of Nursing Informatics” (pp. 18–39)
Nursing Education
Website: Competencies for the Academic Nurse Educator
National League for Nursing. (2019). Nurse educator core competency. Retrieved from http://www.nln.org/professional-development-programs/competencies-for-nursing-education/nurse-educator-core-competency
Note: The competencies for the Academic Nurse Educator do not encompass the competencies or scope and standards of practice for the Nursing Professional Developer. The set of competencies associated with that specific role within the Nurse Education specialization will be examined in future competencies throughout your specialization program of study.
Nurse Executive
The Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) program at Walden University provides a host of nursing specialties for advanced practice registered nursing (APRN) students based on the advanced nursing roles. These include certified nurse practitioner, nurse anesthetist, nurse midwife (NM and clinical nurse specialist. In this case, the selected advanced nursing program is nurse practice that leads to the role of being a nurse practitioner. In this case, the specialty is in psychiatry and a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner (PMHNP).
The choice of being a psychiatry nurse practitioner entails a consideration of several factors, and the difficulties in making the decision. There are several nursing specialties and choosing this one entails considering the other options, especially the awareness that each has an expanded scope and role (Phoenix, 2019). Mental health is a serious public health issue with millions suffering from different mental health issues like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), substance use disorder (SUD) and other conditions that require interventions. However, a significant number cannot access care services because of several limitations that include inadequate providers to cater to their needs (Kumar et al., 2020). Therefore, in making the choice to be a psychiatric nurse, one must consider the factors and the motivation behind their decision.
The difficulty in making the choice emanates from the existing options as well as ensuring one gets the specialty that meets their needs and destined to help them offer better care to patients. The expanded roles and scope of PMHNP means that one must examine all aspects and hurdles that they may influence their choices.
The professional nursing organization affiliated to the psychiatric nurses is the American Psychiatric Nurses Association (APNA). The organization has over 15,000 members who comprise of professional nurses and postgraduate students. One joins the association through subscription whose payment is monthly or annually (APNA, 2023). The association enables psychiatric mental health nurse practitioners to develop interventions that are evidence-based because it offers resources from research findings.
Website: Nurse Executive Competencies
American Organization for Nursing Leadership. (2015). AONL Nurse Executive competencies. Retrieved from https://www.aonl.org/resources/nurse-leader-competencies
Public Health Nursing
Website: Public Health Nursing Competencies
Quad Council Coalition. (2018). Community/Public Health Nursing [C/PHN] competencies. Retrieved from http://www.quadcouncilphn.org/documents-3/2018-qcc-competencies/
American Nurses Association. (2013). Public health nursing: Scope and standards of practice (2nd ed.). Silver Spring, MD: Author.
Walden University MSN Core Nursing courses – Generic information for success:
- Being graduate level adult learners – It is very unlikely that you will experience the quantity of or detailed guidance as in the announcements received in this course. Being so: Read the course announcements thoroughly and completely. Read the course announcements at least daily for any updates. Going forward the Instructors may post items at any time throughout the day or night. I have unfortunately received emails throughout this course with questions for which the information was previously addressed within the announcements. Again, reading the course announcements is imperative for your success.
- The utilization requirement of APA within assignments will increase as you progress to courses that are considered “writing intense”. The APA requirement within discussions will remain as you experienced within this course. This course is not considered writing intense. Familiarize yourself with the correct usage of APA 7th edition. It is within every graded item, within every Nursing course going forward. Familiarize yourself and utilize the Walden resources for APA assistance. I have diligently posted links to those resources several times during this course.
- Use ONLY your Walden student email for communication with any Walden University representative. When communicating with your Instructor ALWAYS include your course number and section. Within this course I posted in the announcements numerous times your specific course number and section, as well asked that you include that information when emailing me. Sadly, I received emails that did not include this information, this delayed my assisting you as I had to request your course number and section. This alerts me that course announcements were not being thoroughly and completely reviewed. Going forward it is highly unlikely Instructors will respond to any email other than your Walden student email as email not in Walden origin routinely gets flagged as spam then deleted. Also be fully aware that Instructors required to respond to any email other than your designated Walden Student email.
- Be mindful if you do not participate in any Walden course during the 1st week (Day 1 through Day 7) – you will be removed from the course by Walden University regardless of your excuse. Your Instructor has no control over this – it is university policy!
- The grading of any assignment cannot proceed by your Instructor unless you submit your assignments via SafeAssign, then in BlackBoard. Traditionally a -0- score will be awarded, with no resubmission availability. At the Graduate level, you are responsible for your work being submitted per instructions AND grading rubric parameters and due date/time. Again, I strongly encourage you to submit your assignments before Day 7 to ensure yourself sufficient time to seek assistance and correct the issue. Remember SafeAssign Drafts and SafeAssign are different!
- For Discussions – There is a six (6) day period (Monday, Day 1 through Saturday, Day 6) allowed for the Discussion participation. No allowances for participation will be made outside of the six (6) Discussion active period. Any submitted post outside of the 6-day active discussion period will not be graded and you will receive a -0- score.
- Faculty cannot accept or grade any assignment or discussion through email.
- Do not wait until Day 7 to begin or submit your assignment. Assignments are due Day 7. At the Graduate level, you are responsible for your work being submitted per instructions, grading rubric parameters and due date and time. Being so = I strongly encourage you to submit your assignments well before Day 7 to ensure yourself sufficient time to seek assistance and correct any issue encountered. I have purposely made myself available to you each day including weekends and responded to you within 12 to 24 hours. Be mindful, Instructors are not required to respond to you on a daily basis. Going forward your Instructors will respond to your Contact the Instructor communications and emails within the required 48 hours’ time period.
- As a graduate level student, Instructors will not reach out to you to ensure your assignments/discussions are completed and submitted correctly. As a graduate level adult learner, it is your responsibility to ensure that your discussions and assignments are completed and submitted timely and correctly. As an adult learner, you need to take the initiative and reach out to your Instructor immediately when you encounter an issue. You were offered an online orientation by Walden University – Did you participate in that orientation? If not, I strongly suggest you contact your advisor and make arrangements.
- If you experience technical issues, please utilize your resources and contact the Walden Customer Care Team or Walden IT for assistance. Going forward you will encounter several PowerPoint presentations, Walden Templates within your future courses at Walden University, as well be required to submit multiple items with a single submission.
- Understand the Time Zones at Walden University and the applicable conversion. Your course calendar is in Eastern Time as is the time/date stamp of submission/participation for your discussions and assignments. Going forward all of your future Nursing courses require that your Discussions, any Quiz or Assignment will continue to be due submitted in Mountain Time.
- Have a computer and Internet backup plan. What will you do if your computer crashes or your Internet is not working? Computer/Internet/work issues are your responsibility. Allowances will not be made due to these issues causing a lack of participation or missed deadline, rather a -0- score will be awarded. Save your work on a flash or hard drive. Know where you can go to access the Academic Skills Center as it is an excellent resource to assist in your success.
- For Assignments – Only prior communication with AND Instructor approval will late assignments be considered for grading. Assignments submitted late will be deducted 4% daily until Day 5 OR may deduct the entire 20% regardless of time/day of late submission. This is at the discretion of each Instructor and will vary course-by-course. After Day 5, in any course, the assignment will be scored a -0-.
- Be familiar with how to access and utilize the Walden resources. I posted the most useful and frequently utilized resources numerous times within the course announcements.
- Ensure your discussions have a substance, depth and breadth, critical analysis, and reflection element within the grading rubric. In short – if your discussion Main Post does not closely compare to the discussion exemplar located within the course resources and announcements posted within this course your grade will be drastically reduced.
- Know who and where to submit any documentation if necessary, for allowances for any late or missed assignments. Remember Instructors are not permitted to accept any medical documentation. Discussion Examining Nursing Specialties NURS 6003
- Know who your advisor is and how to contact them.
- Know where and how to locate your student feedback. This course is 6 weeks in duration – In Week 5 I received emails inquiring as to “I see my grade but don’t know why points were deducted” – It was sadly apparent the feedback being provided was not being reviewed by those students. Your numeric score and student feedback are in different locations – this was addressed in the course announcements. If you cannot locate or have not located your student feedback for discussions and assignments – I strongly encourage you to contact the Customer Care Team as you have missed a tremendous amount of information.
Student Resources: Here is a partial listing of Walden University resources that have been shared with you during this course. You will frequent these as you progress throughout your future courses. Again, I strongly recommend that you bookmark each of these for your future courses.
A PMHNP is a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner. They are registered nurses who have specialized in psychiatric mental health nursing and who have completed a Master’s degree in psychiatric mental health nursing. PMHNPs work with patients who have a range of mental health conditions, including depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and borderline personality disorder (Cherry et al., 2019). They provide assessment, diagnosis, treatment, and counseling for their patients. They may also prescribe medication to their patients as needed.
There are many reasons why I developed interest in PMHNP. My own choice of specialty was informed by personal experience with mental health problems that hat has negatively impacted the lives of my close family members. This is one of the reasons I feel so passionate about working in this field. It was hard for me to make this choice of becoming a PMHNP then I realized this was my passion to help others and my family with mental illness all along. It was not a hard decision for me to choose PMHNP because I had so much experience with it dealing with mentally ill patients has always been my passion.
Comparison between FNP and PMHNP
There are a few key differences between Family Nurse Practitioners (FNP) and Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioners (PMHNP). First, the focus of care. FNPs graduates are prepared to provide primary care for families, whereas PMHNP graduates focus specifically on mental health disorders. This can include diagnosing and treating mental illnesses, providing psychotherapy, and prescribing medications (Cherry et al., 2019). Second, the level of training. FNPs complete a Master’s degree, while PMHNPs earn a Doctorate in Nursing Practice. Finally, FNPs are certified through the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), while PMHNPS are certified through the American Nurses Association’s Commission on Psychiatric Nursing Certification (Buppert, 2020). Mental illness is often misunderstood and fear-driven, but it is important to remember that these are real illnesses that impact real people’s lives. As a psychiatric nurse, I would have the opportunity to help people who are struggling with these conditions regain their health and quality of life.
There are a few different roles that graduates may hold within the Family Nurse Practitioner specialty. Some may work in clinics or doctor’s offices, while others may work in hospitals or other healthcare settings. Many FNPs also work in rural and underserved areas, providing much-needed care to those who might not have access to it otherwise. FNPs can provide primary care to patients of all ages, from infants to seniors. They can diagnose and treat illnesses, order and interpret tests, prescribe medications, and provide education and counseling on various health topics. They also help patients manage chronic conditions like diabetes or heart disease.
Massachusetts Association of Advanced Practice Psychiatric Nurses (MAAPPN) is one of the professional nursing organization that is involved in the regulation of PMHNP nurses. This professional organization composed of psychiatric nurse practitioners and certified registered nurse anesthetists (Beck et al., 2020). The MAAPPN is the only statewide organization that represents advanced practice psychiatric nurses in Massachusetts. The MAAPPN provides advocacy, education, and networking opportunities to its members. It also promotes the role of psychiatric nurse practitioners and certified registered nurse anesthetists in the provision of mental health care in Massachusetts. To become a member of the MAAPPN, one must be a licensed psychiatric nurse practitioner or certified registered nurse anesthetist residing in Massachusetts (Beck et al., 2020). To join as an APRN, one must first verify their membership eligibility and then complete the online MAAPPN Member Application plus the required fees.
Discussion: Examining Nursing Specialties NURS 6003 References
Beck, A. J., Page, C., Buche, J., & Gaiser, M. (2020). The distribution of advanced practice nurses within the psychiatric workforce. Journal of the American Psychiatric Nurses Association, 26(1), 92-96. https://doi.org/10.1177/1078390319886366
Buppert, C. (2020). Nurse practitioner’s business practice and legal guide. Jones & Bartlett Learning.
Cherry, B., Caramanica, L., Everett, L. Q., Fennimore, L., & Scott, E. (2019). Leveraging the power of board leadership in professional nursing organizations. JONA: The Journal of Nursing Administration, 49(11), 517-519. https://journals.lww.com/jonajournal/Abstract/2019/11000/Leveraging_the_Power_of_Board_Leadership_in.2.aspx
Echevarria, I. M. (2018). Make connections by joining a professional nursing organization. Nursing2020, 48(12), 35-38. https://journals.lww.com/nursing/FullText/2018/12000/Make_connections_by_joining_a_professional_nursing.12.aspx
Discussion: Examining Nursing Specialties NURS 6003 Rubric Detail
Select Grid View or List View to change the rubric’s layout.
Content
Name: NURS_6003_Module06_Week10_Discussion_Rubric
Grid View
List View
Excellent Good Fair Poor
Main Posting
Points Range: 45 (45%) – 50 (50%)
Answers all parts of the discussion question(s) expectations with reflective critical analysis and synthesis of knowledge gained from the course readings for the module and current credible sources.
Supported by at least three current, credible sources.
Written clearly and concisely with no grammatical or spelling errors and fully adheres to current APA manual writing rules and style.
Points Range: 40 (40%) – 44 (44%)
Responds to the discussion question(s) and is reflective with critical analysis and synthesis of knowledge gained from the course readings for the module.
At least 75% of post has exceptional depth and breadth.
Supported by at least three credible sources.
Written clearly and concisely with one or no grammatical or spelling errors and fully adheres to current APA manual writing rules and style.
Points Range: 35 (35%) – 39 (39%)
Responds to some of the discussion question(s).
One or two criteria are not addressed or are superficially addressed.
Is somewhat lacking reflection and critical analysis and synthesis.
Somewhat represents knowledge gained from the course readings for the module.
Post is cited with two credible sources.
Written somewhat concisely; may contain more than two spelling or grammatical errors.
Contains some APA formatting errors.
Points Range: 0 (0%) – 34 (34%)
Does not respond to the discussion question(s) adequately.
Lacks depth or superficially addresses criteria.
Lacks reflection and critical analysis and synthesis.
Does not represent knowledge gained from the course readings for the module.
Contains only one or no credible sources.
Not written clearly or concisely.
Contains more than two spelling or grammatical errors.
Does not adhere to current APA manual writing rules and style.
Main Post: Timeliness
Points Range: 10 (10%) – 10 (10%)
Posts main post by day 3.
Points Range: 0 (0%) – 0 (0%)
Points Range: 0 (0%) – 0 (0%)
Points Range: 0 (0%) – 0 (0%)
Does not post by day 3.
First Response
Points Range: 17 (17%) – 18 (18%)
Response exhibits synthesis, critical thinking, and application to practice settings.
Responds fully to questions posed by faculty.
Provides clear, concise opinions and ideas that are supported by at least two scholarly sources.
Demonstrates synthesis and understanding of learning objectives.
Communication is professional and respectful to colleagues.
Responses to faculty questions are fully answered, if posed.
Response is effectively written in standard, edited English.
Points Range: 15 (15%) – 16 (16%)
Response exhibits critical thinking and application to practice settings.
Communication is professional and respectful to colleagues.
Responses to faculty questions are answered, if posed.
Provides clear, concise opinions and ideas that are supported by two or more credible sources.
Response is effectively written in standard, edited English.
Points Range: 13 (13%) – 14 (14%)
Response is on topic and may have some depth.
Responses posted in the discussion may lack effective professional communication.
Responses to faculty questions are somewhat answered, if posed.
Response may lack clear, concise opinions and ideas, and a few or no credible sources are cited.
Points Range: 0 (0%) – 12 (12%)Response may not be on topic and lacks depth.
Responses posted in the discussion lack effective professional communication.
Responses to faculty questions are missing.
No credible sources are cited.
Second Response
Points Range: 16 (16%) – 17 (17%)
Response exhibits synthesis, critical thinking, and application to practice settings.
Responds fully to questions posed by faculty.
Provides clear, concise opinions and ideas that are supported by at least two scholarly sources.
Demonstrates synthesis and understanding of learning objectives.
Communication is professional and respectful to colleagues.
Responses to faculty questions are fully answered, if posed.
Response is effectively written in standard, edited English.
Points Range: 14 (14%) – 15 (15%)
Response exhibits critical thinking and application to practice settings.
Communication is professional and respectful to colleagues.
Responses to faculty questions are answered, if posed.
Provides clear, concise opinions and ideas that are supported by two or more credible sources.
Response is effectively written in standard, edited English.
Points Range: 12 (12%) – 13 (13%)
Response is on topic and may have some depth.
Responses posted in the discussion may lack effective professional communication.
Responses to faculty questions are somewhat answered, if posed.
Response may lack clear, concise opinions and ideas, and a few or no credible sources are cited.
Points Range: 0 (0%) – 11 (11%)
Response may not be on topic and lacks depth.
Responses posted in the discussion lack effective professional communication.
Responses to faculty questions are missing.
No credible sources are cited.
Participation
Points Range: 5 (5%) – 5 (5%)
Meets requirements for participation by posting on three different days.
Points Range: 0 (0%) – 0 (0%)
Points Range: 0 (0%) – 0 (0%)
Points Range: 0 (0%) – 0 (0%)
Does not meet requirements for participation by posting on 3 different days.
Total Points: 100
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NURS 6003 Assignment: Academic Success and Professional Development Plan Part 4: Finalizing the Plan
NURS 6003 Assignment Transition to Graduate Study
Name: NURS_6003_Module06_Week10_Discussion_Rubric Discussion Examining Nursing Specialties NURS 6003
I worked on a gen/med floor in a level one trauma hospital when I started nursing. It provided a good foundation for being a new nurse, but it was a slower-paced job than I was expecting. Downtime has always been challenging for me, so I decided to change positions and become an intensive care nurse. Here is where I found my passion for action, well, in a sense. I felt a deep sense of accomplishment and had more confidence in my skills at the end of each shift. And as I took on the position of charge nurse, I realized that I was good at being a leader. I enjoyed working in a high-intensity environment, and people responded well to me. With this in mind, I decided to take things a step further in my career, so I applied to the Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (AG-ACNP) program here at Walden.As an ICU travel nurse, technically a “COVID ICU travel nurse,” the workload has become more demanding in the past year and a half. During this time, I couldn’t physically be with my family due to obvious reasons, which made coping alone difficult. I also started noticing a feeling of being utterly drained of energy. I was burned out! According to research, health workers can encounter various psychological difficulties when working in high-pressure and high-risk situations, such as those associated with disasters and pandemics (Salamah, 2020). So instead of taking the break I so desperately needed, I decided to head back to nursing school and keep that momentum of intensity going. Unfortunately, distraction is a coping mechanism I have learned to master. So it’s clear to say, here is where I’ve been struggling a bit with making a definite career choice. Though I love taking care of patients and providing support to families, I started questioning whether or not working in a hospital setting as a nurse practitioner is what I wanted to do. I knew I needed some guidance and clarity if I wanted to stay on the path of becoming an acute care NP.
Being an active member of the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN), I knew that I would find information to tackle my fatigue and learn new ways to plan for career advancement in the field I once loved. In addition, AACN provides resources to assist nurses in prioritizing their well-being while providing substantial care to patients and their families. For example, nurse leaders affiliated with the organization offer sessions on practical mindful activities to improve personal and organizational resilience during current challenging times in healthcare. As a result, nurses will learn to implement strategic pauses and thoughtful moments into their workday (Bay, 2021).
There are several professional nursing organizations whose primary focus is on critical care nursing for nurses practicing in acute care, one being AACN. The AACN has provided progressive and critical care nurses with world-class resources, education, and support for over 50 years and has over 130,000 members (AACN, 2021). Listed below are some of the membership options for those who are interested in joining. Membership fees can be found on the AACN website.
- Active membership is open to any registered nurse licensed in the United States interested in critical care nursing and is in good standing with their state or territory’s licensing office. Additionally, nurses who work in research, administration, education, medical-surgical, telemetry, progressive care units, home health, or any other healthcare agency are qualified (AACN, 2021).
- Any LVN or LPN, non-nurse professional, or student working in these fields, as well as any healthcare consumer or member of the business or political community, is eligible. However, affiliate members cannot vote, hold office, or serve on national or chapter committees (AACN, 2021).
- Professional nurses who have an RN license in a country other than the United States are eligible. Membership includes all AACN privileges; however, all benefits, including a member card, are provided digitally (through email or the Web). International members are not eligible to run for office or participate on national or chapter committees (AACN, 2021).
- Any resident of the United States (or a non-citizen of the United States who resides inside the United States) enrolled in an accredited professional nursing program and is not currently licensed as a registered nurse is eligible. Membership in the AACN entitles them to all AACN advantages. However, student members cannot vote, hold office, or serve on national or chapter committees (AACN, 2021).
Discussion: Examining Nursing Specialties NURS 6003 References
American Association of Critical-Care Nurses. (2021). AACN Membership Types and Rates. https://www.aacn.org/membership/aacn-membership-types-and-rate
Bay, L. M. (2021). Mindfulness: Using Pause Principles to Enhance Your Nursing Practice. American Association of Critical-Care Nurses. https://www.aacn.org/education/ce-activities/nti18396/mindfulness-using-pause-principles-to-enhance-your-nursing-practice.
Salamah, B. (2020). Exploring the mental health needs of intensive care unit nurses facing the pandemic of covid-19. ScholarWorks@UARK. https://scholarworks.uark.edu/nursstudent/13/.
Nursing is a field that is filled with a litany of specialties to choose from, with each of them presenting its own distinctive opportunities and obstacles. Some of the known specialties in the Walden program include family nurse practitioner (FNP), pediatric nurse practitioner (PNP), psychiatry-mental health nurse practitioner, and adult-gerontology primary care nurse practitioner. A person’s decision to pursue a particular nursing specialty and leadership position could be influenced by a litany of factors that includes but are not limited to the following; personal interests and abilities, work-life balance, job outlook, and earning potential. Nevertheless, deciding on a nurse specialty or leadership position could be a herculean task considering that each specialty has its own pros and cons. Some nurses might have a very clear perspective of what they want to do, whereas others might be struggling with indecision.
For me, some of the difficulties I had in my choice of Family Nurse Practitioner among the litany of Walden MSN programs were, being able to balance patient care with administrative tasks such as charting, managing patient schedules and ordering tests, and maintaining work-life balance considering that family nurse practitioners tend to work long hours and may have a schedule that is highly demanding. On the other hand, the professional goals that drove my decision to settle with the family nurse practitioner specialty include the following: my desire to make a positive impact on the lives of patients across their lifespan, provide optimal patient care, my desire to play a leadership role in patient care, my passion for preventative care, having autonomy or the independence to take a clinical decision, the flexibility to choose a healthcare environment to work such as private practices, clinics, hospitals, etc., and high demand for family nurse practitioners in healthcare. These professional goals align with those of the Walden MSN program and will prepare me for the challenges of real-world practice.
For Cherry, B., et al, “Any nurse considering such a leadership position must be willing to embrace and promote 4 essential responsibilities if they are to be successful in leveraging the power of the professional nursing organization to advance nursing practice and influence the future of nursing. These essential responsibilities include the following; 1) promote professional development; 2) push the envelope to advance nursing standards and competencies; 3) address current and unique issues faced by the nurses everywhere; and 4) work within the professional organization structure to accomplish goals.” (Cherry, B., et al, 2019). These essential responsibilities will go a long way in helping the nurses who might be struggling with indecision to be decisive.
PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATION
“A professional organization, also called a professional association or body, seeks to further a particular profession and the interest of its members and the public it serves. Many professional nursing organizations exist, and the cost of membership can vary greatly.” (Nurse.org., 2015)
A professional organization that is affiliated with family nurse practitioners is the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP). AANP is a national organization that represents the interests of nurse practitioners, including family nurse practitioners (FNPs). “The AANP can provide resources for continuing education, job postings, information about NP certification boards, and much more useful information.” (AANP, 2019). To become a member of AANP, the person must be a bona fide licensed nurse practitioner with a state board of nursing. AANP membership gives its members access to resources, networking opportunities, and advocacy on behalf of all nurse practitioners.
By choosing the PMHNP as our specialty, we also need to consider the stigma of mental illness is worldly, a significant societal problem. The overall community is widely misinformed regarding this problem, and dread of the mentally ill rests prevailing. Moreover, the stigma directly influences people with mental disorders and the cherished ones who assist them, often incorporating their family members. Stigma, hatred, and bias toward personages with mental illness can be complicated, but they can drive to wreck no matter the extent and add to worsening signs and decreased probability of receiving treatment. Moreover, it negatively affects rehabilitation among people diagnosed with critical mental ailments.
One of the significant interests for people with mental health issues is obtaining mental health care specialists who have the acquaintance and abilities to render extensive attention, including precautionary tactics, primary mental health, psychotherapy, and medication management. Psychiatric mental health nurse practitioners (PMHNPs) are tutored in the competencies that could aid reach the requirements of this community. Sadly, the psych NP function is defectively discovered, organizational obstacles have restricted the full range of practice, and, as a consequence, there is a curtailment of the specialty amongst advanced practice nurses.
https://www.psychiatrictimes.com/view/stigma-in-healthcare-empowering-physicians-and-trainees-to-seek-help
https://mhanational.org/issues/2020/mental-health-america-access-care-data
Passion for caring influences my selection for MSN (Master of Science in Nursing) specialty as Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) program, determining this choice has been a reflective process for me, consisting of research, deep thought, and deliberations, I had two options of either Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) or Adult/Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner (AGNP). My nursing experience in long term care as an Alzheimer’s / Dementia Unit Manager, of dealing with dementia patients also influence my focus in acquiring more information to deliver mental health services, a psychiatric nurse and mental health practitioner can access, examine, diagnose, and treat patients with mental illness (Walden University 2021).
The difficulty I encountered before making this choice is not wanting to let go of my geriatric patients as the elderly represent an important vulnerable group that are exposed to chronic health conditions associated with progressed age and they also rely totally on healthcare services for survival (Szabo et al., 2020), having in mind that my geriatric patients are also included in the group of patients that are diagnosed with mental health issues, therefore my functioning as PMHNP will still allow me to be able to tender for this group of patients.
As a member of the National Council of Certified Dementia Practitioner (NCCDP) I am a Certified Dementia Practitioner (CDP) which is one of the criteria to be met to practice in my field, I also wish to join the American Psychiatric Nurses Association (APNA) which represents psychiatric nurses and psychiatric nurse practitioners, the APNA is the largest professional membership organization committed to the care and treatment of persons with psychiatric disorders., on their website there is a link to become a member, it will be easy for me to be a member even as a student, the website listed annual membership fee to be paid at joining and annually subsequently. I strongly believe that I will join this organization as a student and when I am done with this program, this will help to build my professional network strength. Being a member of a nursing organization also helps in achieving my nursing education goals. “As with anything else, if you put effort into it, you will receive more out of it.” Quinn-Szcesuil, (2016).
