My Goals and University Vision and Mission

            Being an emergency nurse for over six years and providing bedside patient care to various populations with different medical conditions, has led me to want to advance my degree further than my BSN. Originally, I was interested in the Adult Geriatric Nurse Practitioner Program because I have always favored the geriatric population. Being able to work in the crisis unit with psychiatric patients in the emergency room has led me to take on an interest in mental health nursing. My professional goal is to work full-time as a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner in a long-term care Alzheimer’s unit or long term care psychiatric facility.

I started my career goal at Monmouth University taking classes towards my Adult Geriatric Advanced Nurse Practitioner degree. After four semesters at Monmouth University, I transferred to Walden University where I changed my advanced degree to focus on Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner. Walden University was referred to me by a friend that is a travel nurse, noting how flexible it was to be able to move around to different states and still work on his education. This drew me to looking into an online school. After researching Walden, I found the mission and vision was exactly the type of education I was looking for. The MSN Learning Outcomes noted in the College of Nursing coincides with how I feel about mental health and the type of treatment each individual patient should receive. The resources in mental health are minimal so providing “cost-effective specialist nursing practice that contributes to high-quality healthcare delivery” (Walden University, n.d., MSN Learning Outcomes section) is crucial to learn.

According to Walden University’s mission and vision statement (Walden University, 2020) the university gives students the opportunity to promote social change in communities of diverse populations by providing them with education that enables advanced practice nurses to obtain knowledge and develop the skills to become scholar-practitioners. Being able to work with diverse populations in a variety of settings within mental health is a professional goal of mine as a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner. Advancing my degree at Walden University gives me the motivation to participate in committees and associations related to mental health so I can advocate for a higher quality of evidenced based care for patients.

Social Change

During the years I have been a nurse, having the opportunity to learn more about healthcare policies drives me to be more involved to provide patients with quality patient care. Walden University states that “positive social change results in the improvement of human and social conditions” (Walden University, 2020). I would like to incorporate positive social change in my everyday work as a PMHNP by joining organizations that promote health policy on behalf of the mental health population. Nurse Practitioners have the opportunity to make a major impact in healthcare by promoting positive social change on a global level through the involvement in various organizations relating to health policy (Chilton, 2015). While finishing my degree at Walden University, I would like build on my network in various ways to be able to improve outcomes in healthcare. I want to influence those around me and make a difference in mental health all over, not just nursing practice.

References

Chilton, L. (2015). Nurse practitioners Have an Essential Role in Health Policy. The Journal of Nurse Practitioners, A19.

Walden University. (2020). Vision, Mission, and Goals. Retrieved June 1, 2020, from https://catalog.waldenu.edu/content.php?catoid=172&navoid=59420

Walden University. (n.d.). MSN Learning Outcomes. Retrieved June 1, 2020, from https://catalog.waldenu.edu/preview_program.php?catoid=172&poid=67151&returnto=59823

Response

Great post. I am also in the PMHNP program. I can relate to how you feel about the cost of receiving mental health treatment. I think you will agree with some of the results from a survey from The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). NAMI found that when patients are required to make high out of pocket payments when they visit their health care provider, it discourages them from seeking out help (NAMI, 2017). If people are scared to go to the hospital or a clinic because of the cost, I believe that very little progress as a society will be achieved over time. This makes me ask myself, what can I then do about it? It makes me wonder how I can then make sure that my getting paid does not hinder someone from getting the help they need to stay alive.

Amy, like you, I also think my career as a mental health professional can bring about social change. One change I want to contribute to is eliminating the stigma associated with mental health. Research has found that this can prevent people from seeking needed help (Lake & Turner, 2017). My job will be to ensure that my future patient is comfortable speaking to me because they will know through my professionalism that I will not judge them because of their illness.

Reference

Lake, J. & Turner, S. M. (2017). Urgent need for improved mental health care and a more

collaborative model of care. The Permanente Journal, 21(17). doi: 10.7812/TPP/17-024

National Alliance on Mental Illness. (2017, November). The doctor is out: Continuing disparities

in access to mental and physical health care. https://www.nami.org/Support-Education/Publications-Reports/Public-Policy-Reports/The-Doctor-is-Out/DoctorIsOut

Discussion: Networking Opportunities

In this module, you begin laying the foundation for your academic and professional success. Your efforts begin with a vision that includes your own definition of success. Your vision may vary from those of your colleagues, but this does not mean you have to take these first steps alone.

Walden University and the College of Nursing also have a vision and mission, which include helping you to make your own vision a reality. Members of your new academic community, such as faculty, support teams, and fellow students, can also be helpful. Current practitioners and other member of the professional community can also help you to clarify your vision.

This Module’s Discussion asks you to consider how the Walden mission and vision as well as the College of Nursing’s mission and vision apply to your professional and academic goals. You will also begin to identify individuals and teams who can help you along the way as you begin designing the “blueprint”—your Academic Success and Professional Development Plan—that will guide you toward your own vision for academic and professional success.

To Prepare:

• Review the Walden and College of Nursing mission and vision statements, Walden’s goals and University Outcomes, and the MSN Program Learning Outcomes presented in this Module’s Learning Resources.
• Reflect on your professional and academic goals as they relate to your program/specialization.
• Consider how the information in these resources fit with your own goals and to your becoming a scholar-practitioner.
• Also consider academic and professional individuals and teams with whom you may collaborate in support of your efforts as a student at the university and as a professional within your organization and career.

By Day 3 of Week 1

Post a brief introduction of yourself to your colleagues. Include an explanation as to how Walden’s vision, mission, goals, and social change initiatives relate to your professional and academic goals and to your becoming a scholar-practitioner. Also include an explanation for how the Walden MSN Program Outcomes and perspectives relate to your professional and academic goals and to your becoming a scholar-practitioner.

By Day 6 of Week 1

Respond to at least two of your colleagues’ posts by suggesting additional individuals and/or teams with whom you wish to collaborate or by offering additional networking strategies.

I been a registered nurse for more than 3 decades; During my journey, I have been afforded the opportunity to provide healthcare globally to unique populations.  I have seen advancement made in technology that has laid the foundation, for best practices in the way of patient care.  With each decade,  new technology was born.  I can remember what seems like yesterday re-capping needles and wearing gloves, during invasive procedure was a normal practice.   When I reflect back, I find myself amazed with how far the nursing profession has come.   During my journey, I remember wearing a nurses’ hat and standing up when doctors came on the floor.  At that time, the most desired degree in nursing was the Bachelor of Science in Nursing, BSN.  The myth was if you had a BSN you would be a real nurse and would be afforded special privileges.  It’s now 30 years later and I’m yet to see this myth come into play.   Instead I see a group of professional people mentoring each another, sharing their knowledge and their experience.  This behavior is in direct alignment with positive social changes noted, in Walden University catalog handbook (2019).

Two years ago my daughter graduate with a masters in social work. I remember talking with her about how the nursing profession and the social work  profession carried similar goals and how mental health wellness was an intricate part of person hemostasis.  Beck, Manderscheid and Buerhaus (2018), highlighted this theory in their work and stated “the behavioral health workforce include all who provide prevention or treatment services for mental health and substance use disorders” (Beck et al.’s, 2018).   I think that was the turning point that sparked my curiosity, to do some research. that subsequently  lead me to the decision to further my education.  As a Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, MHNP.  I feel confident that I will be able to facilitate a positive social change within the community.  I am aware that Walden MHNP is going through its accreditation process.   I am confident that this will happen.  I am also confident that the knowledge that I will obtain during my educational transformation, will expose me to different education models  resulting  in me becoming a scholar-practitioner (Walden University, 2019).

According to, Kverno (2016), mental health is a “fundamental human right” that every person is entitled too. Kverno added, in the last decade there has been a steady decrease in number of chronic diseases decreasing disparities with an increasing number of disparities among people with mental health disorders.  As a practitioner, I will increase mental health awareness causing barriers to decrease and awareness about disease to increase.   It is my hope to one day to be an owner or a partner of a community based outreach program. This ownership and or partnership will give me the opportunity to work with community stakeholders, to help increase mental health disorder awareness.   I agree with Walden mission and this mission is also embedded in my nursing goal,  we are “practitioner and thus agents of positive social change” (Walden University, 2019).  It is  my belief also, that Walden University will provide me with that solid foundation that will allow me to be able to recognize societal challenges thus making it possible to bring about transformation and better global outcomes (Walden University, 2019).  Chapman, Phoenix, Hahn and Strod (2018), acknowledge that a lot of work have to be done to identify barriers and even to define the MHNP scope of practice and requirements.  However the entire group all agreed that  the MHNP ”can make a significant contribution” in the delivery of behavioral healthcare.

In conclusion, nursing is a unique profession that takes on different meaning to each nurse.  Nursing to me is a ministry.  With every patient encounter I’m able to minister to that person mind, body and soul body.  Regardless of our individual views,  as nurse we can all agree; As a nurse we promote “positive social change” each time we interact with our patients (Walden University, 2019).  As a nurse we up hold the nursing oath to do no harm, which shows our integrity.  As a nurses we are constant engaging with our community partners and the patient we serves.   I am so proud to be a nurse.

References

(2016). Promoting Access Through Integrated Mental Health Care Education. The Open Nursing Journal, 10, 74-77. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4895028

(2019). Walden University Mission Values and Goals. Retrieved from catalog>walden.edu/content.php?catoid=172&navois=59420&hl=nursing+vision+statement &return to =serach

Angela J. Beck, PHD, MPH, Ronald W. Manderscheid, PHD, Peter Buerhaus, PHD, RN. (2018). The Future of the Behavioral Health Workforce: Optimism and Opportunity. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 54, $187-$188. Retrieved from https://www.ajpmonline.org/action/showPdf?pii=S0749-3797 (18)31627-1

Susan A. Chapman, PHD, RN, Bethany J. Phoenix, PHD, RN, Talia E. Hahn, BA, Deborah C. Strod, MSW. (2018, ). Utilization and Economic Contribution of Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioners in Public Behavioral Health Services. American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Retrieved from https://www.ajpmonline.org/action/showPdf?pii=S0749-3797(18)31603-9