Choosing a career is a daunting and challenging endeavor because the results of the decisions are likely to affect life for decades. My selected nursing specialization is psychiatry and the specific field that I wish to pursue is the psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner (PMHNP). Nurses within this specialization assist individuals with mental illnesses and treat them to enhance their quality of life (Kells & Mathis, 2022).
Because each profession has its own set of requirements that must be completed to succeed in that field, it is very challenging to choose this specialty among the many available. I have considered focusing on this specialization because of several reasons. Numerous individuals commit suicide in the United States and other countries due to being bullied, experiencing anxiety and depression, or suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (Bennett, 2021). Also, several people, particularly adolescents, abuse substances due to emotional dysregulation, and the therapist can aid them in controlling their symptoms by addressing these specific issues.
Teenagers constitute the great majority of substance abusers. By becoming a therapist, I can help all these people. In addition, a PMHNP is responsible for appropriately diagnosing patients and supervising their treatment programs to enhance their quality of life. Being a therapist, I can contribute to the mental and spiritual well-being of patients, and can also influence their physical health. This is because a person’s mental health directly impacts their physical health.
There is another approach to benefit humanity which is assisting individuals in recovering from traumatic experiences and leading fruitful lives. This appears to be a severe issue that is also pretty intriguing. While working as a PMHNP, I can provide specialized care to individuals with challenging irrational beliefs. This specialization is likely to bring several challenges for me. My family has some concerns about me getting into this specialization.
Numerous people believe that individuals with mental disorders are treacherous and will attack anyone at any time (Parola & Marcionetti, 2021). This is one reason my family does not want me to pursue my interest in this topic. Few hospitals are willing to position their employees in clinical settings in order for them to qualify as PMHNPs, presenting a second obstacle. Another challenge is peer pressure.
My friends are going into other specializations, and they want me to consider those options, despite not being interested. This leaves an imprint to think about the choice again. While working as a PMNHP, I will provide my service as a nurse practitioner and in this way, I can take a part to save the lives of the people that die every day due to psychological reasons (Nelson et al., 2021; Raynor et al., 2021).
American Psychological Association (APA, 2022) is one of the organizations working for individuals with mental health disorders and how these impact their social and personal functioning. The organization also publishes comprehensive treatment guidelines for different mental health disorders that help therapists deal with patients and bring them back to life. I have never been a member of this organization. I intend to become a member of this organization after completing a doctoral degree in psychology or a related field from a prestigious institute and working as a therapist or as a PMHNP.
American Psychological Association. (2022). Become a Full Member of APA. https://www.apa.org/members/your-membership/member#:~:text=To%20be%20a%20full%20member%20of%20APA%20you
Bennett, C. (2021). Improving mental health education in nursing school. Nursing2021, 51(9), 48-53. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.NURSE.0000769868.09336.15
Kells, M., & Jennings Mathis, K. (2022). Influence of COVID‐19 on the next generation of nurses in the United States. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 1(1), 1-9. https://doi.org/10.1111/jocn.16202
Nelson, S. C., Jeffrey, J. K., Lustbader, A., Rak, J., Gandhi, M., Krishna, R., Merriman, M., Keels-Lowe, V., & Hoisington-Stabile, A. (2021). Effective partnership care models with advanced practice psychiatric
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