Professional Role Paper

Recognizing that mental health is essential to physical health is becoming more widespread. More and more individuals are turning to psychiatric and psychological treatment as the stigma associated with mental illness proceeds to dissipate, and a psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner (PMHNP) may be able to offer such care. The Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner works as an integrated part of the medical staff in various situations. They use their sophisticated health assessment abilities in collaboration with other healthcare experts to deliver services related to mental health. Additionally, psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioners (PMHNP), who deal with patients displaying mental health issues, are widespread in behavioural healthcare. As a result, they are often registered nurses with advanced practice licenses. Therefore, it is essential to explore the PMHNP role of providing psychotherapy and integrative therapy intervention and overseeing case management to compare and contrast the ideal and observed roles present in an Advanced Practise Nurse, define leadership functions presented in the described role and discuss how the Affordable Care Act impacts the specified practitioner role. 

Comparison and contrast of Ideal and Observed Roles

Professional responsibility in offering intervention and overseeing case management

Nurse practitioners specializing in psychiatric well-being provide a broad spectrum of psychiatric services to people, their households, and communities. To determine a patient's current state of mental health, psychiatric mental health nurse practitioners (PMHNP) examine their pertinent medical history, conduct thorough psychiatric examinations, and detect risk factors that may impact the patient's psychological health (Phoenix, 2019). Based on their evaluation, they create a mental disease diagnosis for their patients, after which they choose the best course of treatment. As a result, a patient population will get coordinated treatment from a nurse practitioner utilizing scientific guidelines specified for each patient (Kumar et al., 2020). Treatment is developed and implemented once the patient has been evaluated and diagnosed.

Although the practice heavily relies on scientifically developed facts and ideas, ongoing education is necessary to ensure that the profession remains grounded. To enhance their patient's psychological state, these advanced-practice nurses will administer medications and start them on a therapy schedule using their expertise in psychotherapy approaches and psychopharmacology (Kumar et al., 2020). Psychiatric nurse practitioners help and educate individuals and communities while observing the development of their patients across their lifetimes (Delaney, 2017). As it pertains to mental health problems and the care of individuals with mental health concerns, they may also help develop policy and health care reform.

Practise Theory

In the conceptualization of the PMHNP's involvement as an advanced practice nurse, it was indicated that the framework of the profession should be centred on consistent services and presented in a systematized style. As a result, it will advance health and well-being rather than abiding by an approach that concentrates solely on the physiochemical aspect of life, disregarding the interpersonal, mental, devotional, and contextual factors (Chapman et al., 2019). Following the cognitive above the biological model, advanced practising nurses will be able to interpret data differently, providing an opportunity for the practitioner to play an active involvement in the lives of their clients (Chapman et al., 2018). Additionally, an essential human resource for the health approach to enhance nurse retention and selection to avert the scarcity of healthcare professionals is the creation of PMHNP roles and absorption into healthcare services (Delaney, 2017). As such, the scarcity of healthcare professionals will also be lessened by the APRNs' increased autonomy.

Literature

The functions that nurse practitioners play in healthcare are becoming more diverse. Psychiatric nurse practitioners work in the mental health discipline and are responsible for various tasks that assist patients in coping with mental health problems (Chapman et al., 2018). Well-educated and skilled nurse practitioners have the resources needed to improve their clients' mental health while raising knowledge about mental illness among people and communities across the country. Nurse practitioners are currently more prevalent than ever in their speciality. This helps relieve the burden on doctors with an increasing workload and few trainees available to help them carry out their obligations (Abram et al., 2020). According to research, having these particular nurse practitioners on staff promotes wellness, consistent patient care at a lower cost, increased patient access, a reduction in wait times for care, the advancement of wellness, a reduction in readmissions, and the development and bolstering of collaborative practice. As a result, psychiatric nurse practitioners play a vital role in the alleviation of mental health problems.

Practise role leadership function

It is required of nurses who work in advanced positions like PMHNPS to exhibit their aptitude for leadership. However, because of the rigours of clinical settings, more time is expended on other nursing-related activities. However, this position favours advanced practising nurses for frontline leadership positions (AANP, 2019). As a result, APRNs ought to be a part of shaping the leadership, management, and medical human resources choices and activities of national and global organizations. The ability to exercise participative and transformative leadership in the promotion and change management has been highlighted as a fundamental competence of APRNs (Chapman et al., 2018). Therefore, PMHNPs should use their leadership skills in clinical settings and organizations by working with health systems to create efficient collaborative procedures that enhance patients' health (Abram et al., 2020). Therefore, as the functions of these practitioners progress, they assume formal leadership responsibilities within medical entities.

APNs practise in the domains of job description

The role function description of a PMHNP

An advanced medical professional with significant training in nursing, psychological health evaluation and diagnosis, psychoanalysis, and psychopharmacology may be compared to a psychiatric nurse practitioner. As a result, they do various tasks in their work as a registered nurse. They have developed the competent knowledge base, sophisticated decision-making abilities, and clinical competencies needed for extended practice, all of which are influenced by the setting and nation in which they are authorized to work. As a result, the PMHNP's function as an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) demonstrates their education and expertise in client needs assessment, ordering and interpreting diagnostic and clinical tests, making illness diagnoses, and developing treatment regimens. A master's degree is also suggested as the entry-level for registered nurses since it includes advanced clinical education that goes further than the basic professional nurse practitioner curriculum and clinical expertise (AANP, 2019). Thus, a PMHNP functions as an Advanced Practise Registered Nurse following their clinical competencies and setting.

United States healthcare structure and how the role fits

It has been difficult to integrate APN positions for PMHNP into mental health support systems and institutions over time. The justification for this is that the validity of nurse practitioners and other APNs' responsibilities varies according to supply and demand in the healthcare system. For instance, in the USA, population and health system mental demands have recently strengthened the importance of a PMHNP. Additionally, APN jobs are introduced on an as-needed basis in various nations, including Canada (Parker & Hill, 2017). Due to the APRN positions' informal introduction, the laws and policies required to ensure their best execution are substantially behind (Parker & Hill, 2017). Therefore, the advanced practising nurse serves as a necessary entity and is constrained in many ways by the internal structure of the American healthcare system.

How the Affordable Care Act impacts the particular role

The Affordable Care Act has significantly impacted how advanced practice nurses offer healthcare. For instance, many Americans now have enhanced security from being refused health care coverage and improved access to basic and preventative healthcare services, thanks to the Act (Chapman et al., 2018). By incorporating the Act into medical care, the healthcare legislation has also improved the duties of PMHNPs. APRNs also provide therapy for Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries with complicated requirements in the shape of PMHNPs at costs comparable to those of their medical counterparts (Chapman et al., 2018). Moreover, the Affordable Care Act and the healthcare system highlight the need to raise the standard of mental healthcare services and develop more durable methods for their delivery (Chapman et al., 2018). Therefore, the Act has enhanced healthcare coverage. 

Conclusion

It is essential to explore the PMHNP role of providing psychotherapy and integrative therapy intervention and overseeing case management to compare and contrast the ideal and observed roles present in an Advanced Practise Nurse, define leadership functions presented in the described role and discuss how the Affordable Care Act impacts the specified practitioner role. PMHNP roles, such as providing psychotherapy and integrative therapy intervention and overseeing case management, contribute significantly to better care for populations globally at reduced healthcare costs. As such, the evaluations of these roles focus on their effectiveness and efficiency in achieving positive health outcomes. Additionally, nurses who work in advanced positions like PMHNPS must exhibit their aptitude for leadership. However, because of the rigours of clinical settings, more time is expended on other nursing-related activities. Regardless, the advanced practising nurse serves as a necessary entity and is constrained in many ways by the internal structure of the American healthcare system. Moreover, the Affordable Care Act has significantly impacted how advanced practice nurses offer healthcare by providing enhanced security against healthcare coverage. Ultimately, the PMHNP role showcases various functions and aspects following their medical practice and domains.

References

AANP. (2019). Are You Considering a Career as Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner?. American Association of Nurse Practitioners. https://www.aanp.org/news-feed/are-you-considering-a-career-as-psychiatric-mental-health-nurse-practitioner#:~:text=The%20role%20of%20the%20PMHNP,disorders%20or%20substance%20abuse%20problems.

Abram, M., White, J., & Jacobowitz, W. (2020). Developing an Innovative Psychiatric-mental Health Nurse Practitioner Program to meet Current mental Health Needs.. Go.gale.com. https://go.gale.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA655088164&sid=googleScholar&v=2.1&it=r&linkaccess=abs&issn=00287644&p=HRCA&sw=w&userGroupName=anon%7E8ec9485f.

Chapman, S., Phoenix, B., Hahn, T., & Strod, D. (2018). Utilization and Economic Contribution of Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioners in Public Behavioral Health Services. American Journal Of Preventive Medicine, 54(6), S243-S249. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2018.01.045

Chapman, S., Toretsky, C., & Phoenix, B. (2019). Enhancing Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Practice: Impact of State Scope of Practice Regulations. Journal Of Nursing Regulation, 10(1), 35-43. https://doi.org/10.1016/s2155-8256(19)30081-x

Delaney, K. (2017). Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing Advanced Practice Workforce: Capacity to Address Shortages of Mental Health Professionals. Psychiatric Services, 68(9), 952-954. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ps.201600405

Kumar, A., Kearney, A., Hoskins, K., & Iyengar, A. (2020). The role of psychiatric mental health nurse practitioners in improving mental and behavioral health care delivery for children and adolescents in multiple settings. Archives Of Psychiatric Nursing, 34(5), 275-280. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apnu.2020.07.022

Parker, J., & Hill, M. (2017). A review of advanced practice nursing in the United States, Canada, Australia and Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR), China. International Journal Of Nursing Sciences, 4(2), 196-204. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijnss.2017.01.002

Phoenix, B. (2019). The Current Psychiatric Mental Health Registered Nurse Workforce. Journal Of The American Psychiatric Nurses Association, 25(1), 38-48. https://doi.org/10.1177/1078390318810417