Personal Statement: A Career As A Mental Health Professional Nurse

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As a current practicing mental health professional nurse, I am able to observe the many inadequacies that are present in the treatment of individuals suffering from mental illness. I have had the privilege at various times, to shadow advanced practice nurses practicing in behavioral medicine as well as other specialties within nursing. I have perceived first-hand the benefits these providers have been able to offer their patients, especially those with limited access to care. I have a special interest in treating the mental health of veterans and those suffering from post-traumatic stress disorders and traumatic brain injuries. I have witnessed this population’s needs being most often misunderstood and often neglected within segments of our society. From the beginning of my journey in nursing, I have maintained a desire to practice with underserved …show more content…

In my undergraduate nursing program, my psychiatric nursing clinical rotation was the most rewarding clinical experience. I sensed the most connection with the ability that the professional nurse utilized to attend to various medical issues, while also employing the vital skill of communicating therapeutically with the patient. After starting my nursing career on a unit specializing in medical and surgical, I longed to transition to where I knew my passion lied, mental health nursing. It was a somewhat daunting thought to leave a specialty I had grown comfortable in, to step out and pursue the specialty I truly desired. I encounter unique challenges daily in my practice but with the critical thinking amassed and the readiness to learn new knowledge, I feel capable that I am providing the best care possible to patients. I have fully recognized my desire to take the next level of assessing, diagnosing, implementing and evaluating psychiatric nursing care as nurse

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