Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner - Research Paper Example

According to the American Psychiatric Nurses Association, psychiatric mental health nurse practitioners in the USA are specialty nurses within nursing whose responsibility includes the provision of mental health services to individuals and families. PMHNP is an advanced nursing practice where these practitioners train in order for them to be able to diagnose patients, conduct necessary therapy and prescribe medication to individuals suffering from various psychiatric disorders. The treatment plan developed by PMHNP also includes the families of the patients suffering from the various mental health disorders and the communities that they live in. Additionally, they also consult with the various stakeholders such as legislators, communities, corporation and groups involved in mental health. One major requirement that these nurses should have is that they have to attain a master’s degree or one in doctoral in psychiatric mental health in order for them to qualify to be registered nurses in this field. Most of them operate private owned practices that allow them to provide primary care services to populations affected by psychiatric mental health. Based on this over view, this research paper will evaluate all the requirements that Psychiatric –Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Advanced Practice Registered Nurses in the US specifically looking at the ones applied in the state of Florida. Education requirements Before an individual qualifies to be a Psychiatric-mental Health Nurse Practitioner, it is a requirement for them to attain a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing and a Nurse Practitioner degree that might take at least to four additional training years. Further, these individuals also have to obtain Master’s of Science in Nursing or obtain a Doctor of Nursing Practice, which is usually an advanced program in nursing education where one has to practice for at least six hundred clinical working hours. In 2015, the DNP degree became the minimum degree requirement for those seeking to be enrolled for a degree in advanced practice registered nurses. Licensing requirements Before nurses are permitted or licensed to practice, they should first: a) Submit the application fee that is a requirement for applicants that is payable to the Department for first licencing. b) The applicant is then authorized by the Board to practice under the supervision of a professional and registered nurses as a graduate or graduate practical nurse. The Board might require irregular reports from the supervisors and employers of the graduate nurse or graduate practical nurse to ascertain whether the individual has been in violation of Section 464.018(1) F.S. c) An applicant that fails the initial or any other subsequent examination will not be eligible to practice as a nurse until the time that they pass the licensing examination. d) Further, any applicant that does not physically appear to sit for the licensing examination shall also not be eligible to practice as a licensed nurse until the time that they pass the licensing examination. e) An applicant who chooses to write a practical examination based on having a practical nursing education equivalency while they are eligible to write a professional examination and still fail the practical examination will also not be granted a graduate nurse status even when they apply to answer the professional examination. Certification and recertification requirements Nurse anesthetists and widwives have the option of applying for provisional state certification before they are certified by the relevant national nursing specialty and professional boards in order for them to be registered. As a requirement, every applicant seeking to obtain provisional state certification should a graduate in a relevant educational program in accordance with Rule 64B9-4.002 of the Florida Administrative Conduct. The provisional ARNP certificate issued at the state level is only valid for 12 months and may also be considered as expired if there is no specialty board certification sought within the 12 months after the provisional ARNP has been granted. An application shall be filled by the relevant individuals together with a prescribed form by the Department that shall also be accompanied by the recommended fee required for this process. Applications shall remain valid for a period of one year from the date that the initial submission was made to which the failure to provide all the appropriate documentation could result in the application becoming void. Also if the applicant fails to submit a new application and the recommended fee that should accompany the application then it shall also be rendered null and void. Applications for certification for individuals seeking to practice in more than one ARNP category shall be done separately as stipulated in Section 464.0129(1) F.S in the categories that the categories that they desire to be certified in. Those applicants seeking to be certified in a second category should be able to document and demonstrate their eligibility in the particular category by either: Displaying content that is appropriate and relevant to the second category which was initially addressed in the first ARNP education program and also that the applicant passed the national certification examination in the second category that they have expressed interest in. Secondly, that they are able to display content in the second category through a formal program that was undertaken after they completed the initial ARNP education where the applicant was successful at passing the national certification examination in the desired second category if need be. All applicants should understand that an ARNP certificate cannot be transferred from one category to another meaning that each category must be certified individually. Continuing Education requirements Ideally, PMHNP education does not end when a nurse graduates as the ARNPs are required to take continuing education and also be retested to ascertain their level of competency pertaining to their nursing practice (APNA, 2015). The retesting is done on a regular basis, which has led to the establishment of numerous postgraduate Advanced Practice Psychiatric Nurse programs so as to allow practicing APPNs to access post graduate certification in this nursing field. In Florida, the requirements are that these registered nurses should undergo at least 24 hours of the relevant continuation education in a period of 2 years that should also include 1 hour training on HIV and AIDS continuing education to be accomplished before the first renewal (Medscape MultiSpecialty, 2015). Secondly, 2 hours training on the prevention of medical errors and another 2 hours on domestic violence that is offered at an institution in Florida that is approved that should be completed at every third renewal. Starting with biennium that ends in 2015, a course taking 2 hours that focuses on Florida nursing laws and rules shall be a requirement alongside national certification. In order for PMHNP APRN to maintain their national certification, they should obtain at least 1000 hours of patient care and a log showing 75 hours of continuing education within every five years in order for them to be recognized as practicing nurses (Medscape MultiSpecialty, 2015). Other than this, the American Psychiatric Nurses Association also holds national conferences twice every year that provide continuing education opportunities to its members. The conferences are the CPI Conference that is held in June and the Annual Conference that is usually held in October each year. The APNA website provides details on the various conferences that they organize and their scheduled dates that serve as significant programs in psychiatric mental health. Credentialing requirements In Florida State, those seeking to become ARNP are required to submit applications as stipulated in Section 464.012 F.S, which should be accompanied by a license that permits them to practice nursing on a professional level in the state of Florida. Pursuant to subsection 64B9-4.004(1) of the Florida Administrative Code F.A.C, an individual seeking to be licensed as a ARNP should be able to fill out the relevant forms while making an application to the Department. They should also be able to provide proof that they are certified by a national advance practice from a specialty board that is also approved such as: a. American College of Nurse Midwives b. Council on Certification or the Recertification of Nurse Anesthetists c. American Nurses Association Nurse Practitioner level Examinations only d. National Board of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners and Associates e. National Certification Corporation for OB/GYN, OR Neonatal Nursing Specialties Those sitting in these boards shall ensure that the individuals seeking to be licensed meet the following standards: i. That they provide written examinations before they are certified ii. A completion of a formal program before being proved eligible through an examination iii. Are competent nurses when it comes to practicing in clinical specialty iv. Are able to identify the various statements used in different scopes of practice as appropriate for the specialty v. Maintains a review mechanism that abides by the criteria that is approved in Florida in relation to the requirements According to Section 456.048,F.S those seeking to be ARNPs in Florida should be in possession of malpractice insurance, which shall act as proof of them being financially responsible. This is a major requirement meaning that applicants are required to be in compliance with this section in order for them to be eligible for licensing. Any individual that wishes to be exempted from the requirement on financial responsibility as per Section 456.0489(2) should do so in a timely manner that they may be exempted from biennial renewal, initial certification reactivation of licensing (The Florida Board of Nursing, 2007). Protocols: Hospital-based and office/clinic based ARNP will only be licensed to provide diagnosis, a treatment plan and operation as per the protocol between the Florida-licensed medical doctor, dentist or osteopathic physician and the ARNP. The supervision method agreed between the ARPN and the supervisor shall be documented on paper and should be appropriate for professional health care providers that work under similar conditions. The number of those that a supervisor can handle should be manageable to ensure that the stipulated medical standards of medical care are adhered to based factors such as: I. The availability of the supervisor II. The practical setting III. Risks attached to patients IV. The complexity of the procedures to be executed V. The experience, educational exposure and specialty of those involved in the execution of the protocol VI. The written protocol signed by the relevant parties that illustrates them having an agreement, which should include: 1. The signatures of the parties to the protocol The names, license number, address, and the DEA number of the supervisor (physician) The names, address, and the ARNP certificate number of the ARNP The nature of the practice and the location of the practice The date of development or of the signature amendments (The Florida Board of Nursing, 2007). 2. The collaborative practice agreement that indicates the duties of the ARNP and those of the physician. 3. A provision where the involved parties shall give an annual review 4. The medical prescriptions that the ARNP may administer 5. The areas that the ARNP should manage that include the treatment therapies that they may initiate and the conditions that they initiate therapies (GraduateNursingEdu.org., 2015) 6. Establish a procedure for identifying the conditions that might require direct intervention or consultation. 7. Overall the protocol agreed on should be able to meet the medical care and supervision standards through detailed descriptions of the treatments and conditions by both parties. 8. A copy of the original protocol shall be maintained at the practice site of both parties to the protocol while the original shall be filed by the Department on an annual basis and retained at the same as stipulated by Section 458.348(1) F.S. 9. A copy of the protocol can and shall be maintained by either parties for future reference even after the relation between the supervising professional and the ARNP is terminated. Malpractice (cost, limitations, exclusions) Suspensions can be issued the Board to nurses that fail to assure the public of their safety or are a potential threat to the same if they are violation of Section 464.072 and 464.018 F.S (The Florida Board of Nursing, 2007). Anticipated salary ranges, benefits and corresponding work responsibilities for Mental Health Nurse Practitioner In essence, the salary that mental health nurses can earn tens to increase as per their level of education and experience where LPNs earned between $29,680 and $56, 010 in 2010, while RNs earned between $44, 190 to $95, 130, those with Masters of Science in Nursing (MSN) earned between $61, 277 and $110, 738. Lastly, those that have doctorates in this field were expected to have a salary range of $76, 282 and $108, 615 in the same year (Innerbody.com 2010). References American Psychiatric Nurses Association (2015). APNA Continuing Education. Retrieved on 29 May 2015 from http://www.apna.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=5488 GraduateNursingEdu.org. (2015). Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner. Retrieved on 29 May 2015 from http://www.graduatenursingedu.org/psychiatric-mental-health-nurse-practitioner/ Innerbody.com. (2010). Becoming a mental health nurse. Retrieved on 29 May 2015 from http://www.innerbody.com/careers-in-health/becoming-mental-health-nurse.html Medscape MultiSpecialty. (2015). State CE requirements for Nurses. Retrieved on 29 May 2015 from http://www.medscape.org/public/nursecestaterequirements The Florida Board of Nursing. (2007). The Nurse Practice Act: Chapter 464 Florida Statutes, Rules of the Board of Nursing: Chapter 64B9 Florida Administrative Cod. Retrieved on 29 May 2015 from http://phsc.edu/sites/default/files/program/files/Nurse-Practice-Act.pdf Read More