Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner My Journey

Why I Want to be a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner

Part 1

As a person charged with the role of diagnosing and treating patients presenting with various mental heal issues, I will be required to have several personal qualities and attributes. To begin with, it would be prudent to note that I am well aware of the fact that I will be serving as part of a larger multidisciplinary team. For this reason, the relevance of having teamwork skills and capabilities cannot be overstated. This is more so the case when it comes to being an effective communicator, and being ready to serve in a collaborative setting. Effective communication skills are especially instrumental in this case given that from time to time, I will be called upon to share my thoughts and other relevant information with colleagues and other professionals on matters relating to the wellbeing of patients presenting with the various mental health issues. Those I will be closely collaborating with are inclusive of, but they are not limited to, physical therapists and primary care physicians.

I will also be required to have interpersonal skills that could be deemed excellent. This is more so the case given that in the assessment of persons presenting with the various symptoms of mental illness, I will be called upon to closely interact with not only the said patients, but also their friends and families.

Some of the other personal attributes and qualities that I feel will be of great relevance in this particular role are inclusive of superior problem solving skills and physical endurance. This is more so the case given that from time to time, I will likely encounter difficult cases that test both my physical and mental resilience. I am also convinced that I will need to be empathetic, flexible, and have emotional stability.

However, I feel that I lack the relevant skills to effectively serve the needs of a diverse clientele. This is more so the case given that I am well aware of the fact that as a psychiatric nurse practitioner, I will be dealing with patients from different races, ages, as well as social backgrounds, temperaments, and religious inclinations. For this reason, I may be required to develop the relevant cultural competencies so as to serve effectively in this particular role.

Part 2

I believe that cultural competence is instrumental in this role. As I have explained above, I expect to meet persons from all walks of life in the course of executing my duties as a psychiatric nurse practitioner. In my opinion, cultural competence has got to do with the ability to not only embrace, but also interact with persons whose perspectives, viewpoints, cultures, as well as worldviews and beliefs differ from one’s own. I will integrate this into my professional practice by learning as much as I can about other cultures and belief systems, and interacting with persons from diverse backgrounds at every available opportunity.

On the other hand, ethical sensitivity relates to the ability to identify or recognize crucial ethical issues and concerns, and resolve or refer them in an ideal or effective manner. In my professional practice, I intend to incorporate this particular concept by being aware of, and deploying the main principles of ethics – i.e. fidelity, nonmaleficence, beneficence, justice, and autonomy.

In this case, leadership has got to do with the ability to motivate, influence, and inspire a group of colleagues, other professionals, and collaborators in the clinical realm. I will integrate this concept by ensuring that I maintain integrity, ensuring that I am dependable, and further enhancing my problem-solving skills.

Lifelong learning, on the other hand, relates to professional development and knowledge acquisition throughout life. This I will incorporate into my professional practice by constantly reviewing the relevant peer-reviewed journals for advances in my area of practice, and attendance of professional seminars and workshops.

Part 3

Graduate education in nursing will come in handy in efforts to accomplish my future career goals. At present I possess a masters in informatics and administration. Graduate education will equip me with additional skills and capabilities to evaluate mental health condition symptoms so as to come up with the appropriate diagnosis. Graduate education will also be instrumental in efforts to further sharpen my abilities to assess the health background of patients and properly assess family history. To a large extent, there is need to follow through with patients and their families following the deployment of the relevant interventions. Graduate education will on this front be instrumental in the enhancement of my ability to monitor the effectiveness of various treatments and interventions.

With the skills and capabilities obtained from this course, I will also be able to effectively serve in diverse settings. At present, there are numerous parts of the country that are underserved in as far as psychiatric care is concerned. For this, reason, the ability of a psychiatric nurse practitioner to serve in diverse capacities and settings would be instrumental in efforts to advance the health and wellbeing of persons from across the country. Thus, with the knowledge gathered from this particular program I will be capable of functioning in settings such as inpatient treatment facilities, community health settings, behavioral health clinics, residential care facilities, correctional facilities, etc. I am especially interested in this area of practice owing to interactions I have had with those impacted in one way or another by COVID-19 over the last two years. In this case, I got to experience, firsthand, the devastation that those who lost their loved ones or had their livelihoods severely impacted, underwent. I would be glad to serve in a role that enables me to make a difference on this front. It should also be noted that with a graduate education in nursing, I could open and operate an independent practice in any of the states that permit this in the absence of supervision. This particular program also sets a straight path for me in as far as the assumption of other roles in the psychiatric nursing realm. This is more so the case when it comes to the assumption of leadership roles in organizational settings is concerned.