Step 2: Justification of Nursing Specialty Use the space below to write a paragraph identifying and justifying your reasons for choosing your MSN specialization. Be sure to incorporate any feedback you received 

For a variety of reasons, I decided to pursue a career as a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP). To begin, I feel strongly that mental health deserves the same attention as physical health. By becoming a PMHNP, I will be able to deal with people of all ages and give them the full range of services they need for their mental health (Kverno & Fenton, 2021).

Secondly, I hope to have a positive impact by assisting people and families who are dealing with mental health issues because there is a rising need for mental health providers in our community. Finally, my colleagues in this week’s Discussion Forum provided insightful criticism, drawing on their experiences and perspectives as PMHNPs to offer suggestions for improvement. Their advice strengthened my resolve, and I came away from our conversation with a deeper appreciation for the work of PMHNPs and the difference they can make in patients’ lives. I am confident that focusing on PMHNP is the best route for me, and I look forward to beginning this journey to promote better mental health for all.

Step 3: Professional Organizations

Use the space below to identify and examine one professional organization related to your selected or preferred specialty. Explain how you can become a member of this organization.

The American Nurses Association (ANA) has a Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing Professional Organization that serves as a network for PMHNPs and other mental health nurses. Registered nurses (RNs) in the United States are represented by the American Nurses Association, and the Psychiatric Mental Health Nurses’ Programme is a subset of the ANA dedicated to improving the field of psychiatric-mental health nursing via practice and education. To become a member of the organization, the person needs to be a current member of the ANA to join the Psychiatric Mental Health Nurses’ Programme (Foster et al., 2019).

Members of the ANA must be registered nurses who are currently licensed to practice in the United States or one of its territories. Anyone who has already joined the ANA and paid the membership cost can also join the PMHNP. The American Nurses Association offers its members the chance to stay abreast of the newest research and advancements in the field of psychiatric-mental health nursing through continuing education courses, professional networking events, and newsletters (Bradshaw et al., 2021). One of the benefits of membership is the opportunity to take part in lobbying initiatives to expand the field of psychiatric-mental health nursing and raise public awareness of mental health issues.

References

Bradshaw, M., Gericke, H., Coetzee, B. J., Stallard, P., Human, S., & Loades, M. (2021). Universal school-based mental health programs in low-and middle-income countries: a systematic review and narrative synthesis. Preventive Medicine, 143, 106317. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ypmed.2020.106317