Share your story with pictures of how you decided to become a PMHNP. Psychiatric nurse practitioner
I've been a nurse for a while now and always assumed I'd be OK with staying where I am. A life-changing diagnosis was given to me eleven years ago. That day changed me forever. I hadn't been myself for a while prior to it, but the physicians had no idea why. Because of this, my marriage ended. Through experience and maturation, I have concluded that I will no longer tolerate the status quo (Kub, 2019). I decided that my life, and the lives of those who are also silently suffering, are worth fighting for. We are all unique and deserving of the chance to overcome our health challenges. In the most recent revision of the psychiatric scope and standards of practice, the promotion of a recovery-focused, person-centered quality of treatment was included as a mandatory requirement. The fifth norm, "Therapeutic Relationship and Counseling," is on aiding in symptom management and rehabilitation. Attempting rehabilitation in every circumstance demonstrates remarkable development, given that recovery was not possible for many mental diseases only a few short years ago. Below is an image, Figure 1.0
It wasn't until the last eight months that I knew that I wanted to pursue more education to become a Nurse Practitioner. After making up my mind, I considered pursuing a master's degree in education, but I knew I couldn't forget the last half of my life. As I learn more about this area, I feel more confident in my choice. Unbeknownst to me, the clinical psychiatry rotation was eliminated from nursing school, and there were relatively few psychiatric questions on the NCLEX® compared to when I was in school. Perhaps this is why so many people with mental illness end up in jail or prison (Wing Chi, 2017). Perhaps some of these inmates could have been rescued if we had access to sufficient medical treatment, preventative care, and insurance coverage for group therapy and one-on-one counseling. Perhaps then they would be taking the right drugs and contributing to society. It's tragic that many people suffering from mental illness wind themselves behind bars without ever committing an offense. Will the outcomes change if they had participated in therapy? This is information that will be lost to us forever. Below is an image of Figure 1.2
I want to do everything I can to prevent as many individuals as possible from seeking care at a mental health facility and to aid those who are already receiving it in getting better and recognizing how much they matter. Every patient deserves to know that they have been offered hope for a fulfilling future (Wing Chi, 2017). Human connection, kindness, and generosity may go a long way. Since mental health problems are not limited to institutions for the mentally ill, I think more individuals, especially nurses, should learn to practice in that fashion. Due to the prevalence of information overload, everyday stresses, and the never-ending work mindset in today's society, mental health and substance use literacy should be required competencies for all registered nurses. Figure 1.3
Do the pictures look like yours, or are the pictures different?
The pictures are different since I obtained them from the internet to represent how I became a psychiatric nurse practitioner
Claudia Calderin
In the past decade, headlines reporting the tragic stories of a young person’s suicide death linked in some way to bullying (physical, verbal, or online) have become regrettably common. There is so much pain and suffering associated with each of these events, affecting individuals, families, communities and our society as a whole and resulting in an increasing national outcry to “do something” about the problem of bullying and suicide. This was my motivation at the beginning to start thinking about to become a PMHNP. Now, I’m confident that as PMHNP, we are able to do more than that, we can prevent suicide due to other conditions such as depression, chronic pain, family issues, and so many others. As a PMHNP, we’ll in our hands the power to impact our community bringing down those alarming suicide statistics.
Elizabeth Gonzalez
I was motivated to become a PMHNP based on two main pictures. The first picture involved a caregiver comforting an adult patient. The image enabled me to understand the role and responsibility of a PMHNP. The main role of the PMHNP is to comfort patients (Abram & Forbes, 2019). To do this, they must understand the patient's situation and empathize with them so they can know what they are going through, whether it is a physical or mental illness. They also need to treat patients with respect while maintaining their professional demeanor and attitude.
The second picture illustrates the importance of maintaining and accessing good mental health. The second picture assisted me in looking forward and investing in research and development to provide awarenesses of cognitive challenges and how to reduce and manage various mental disorders and illnesses. The role of PMHNP is vital in ensuring that patients are aware of their mental health and its importance. By educating them on how to maintain their mental health, they will understand why it's important to take care of themselves so they can lead healthy lives. This way, they can prevent depression or anxiety disorders from developing into full-blown illnesses, which could affect their physical health too.
Are the pictures different?
My pictures and the pictures provided are similar in many ways. The first pictures in the two categories are identical since they comfort the patient. The PMHNP should ensure that the patient is comfortable throughout the procedure and encourage them to participate. They also need to be aware of any possible complications or side effects that may arise during the process. The pictures showing the bulb-like structure indicate that a PMHNP provides awareness of physical, mental, and emotional well-being. PMHNP needs to provide information about pain management techniques, such as breathing and relaxation techniques so that patients can better cope with the discomfort associated with the side effects of medicines and surgery (Peterson, Pittenger, Kaas & Lounsbery, 2019).
