Are you a nurse interested in pursuing a career in mental health? If so, you are not alone. There is a huge shortage of nurses with advanced degrees in psychiatric mental health.
Psychiatric nursing is essential because it helps reduce the stigma associated with mental illness and allows patients to get the treatment they need.
If you are considering a career as a psychiatric nurse, then consider pursuing a psychiatric nurse practitioner program, also known as an MSN-PMHNP degree.
This degree gives you all the skills you need to provide high-quality care for your patients while supporting them throughout their treatment process.
Moreover, the need for nurses with advanced practice degrees is growing because these individuals are trained to diagnose and treat mental health conditions.
They can prescribe medication, provide psychotherapy, and coordinate care plans with other physicians and therapists on behalf of their patients.Â
This article will explore the top drivers that can motivate nurses to pursue an MSN-PMHNP degree.
Growing Number of Patients With Mental Disorders
The growing number of patients with mental disorders can catalyze nurses to pursue MSN-PMHNP degrees.
About 50 million adults in the U.S. have a mental illness, equivalent to 19.86% of the adult population.
The problem is further exacerbated by the fact that approximately 50% of mental health patients don’t receive proper treatment.Â
These numbers allow nurses to pursue an MSN-PMHNP degree because it gives them more tools to provide better care for their patients struggling with mental illness.
This also enables healthcare entities better to manage the massive inflow of mental health patients.
Additionally, the need for nurses with advanced knowledge about mental health is expected to rise significantly in the coming years as more Americans seek treatment for their illnesses due to increasing public awareness about mental health issues and improved access to psychological services.
The best part of an MSN-PMHNP degree is you can pursue it online. Psych nurse practitioner programs online allow aspiring nurses to concurrently do their jobs while advancing their education and skills through this degree.
The flexibility of the programs also means that you can study while working full-time, taking care of your family, or serving in the military.
Because these programs are offered online, they don’t require you to travel to campus or complete on-site assignments.
Instead, all coursework is completed through an online platform, so it’s easy for students with busy schedules to stay on track with their studies.
Rise in Elderly Population
The number of elderly people is growing at an exponential pace. The number of people aged 60 years or above is anticipated to double during 2015-2050.
This will change the number of elderly people from roughly 900 million to 2 billion. Moreover, elderly individuals have a higher predisposition toward mental health.Â
The expected massive increase in the aging population will require ongoing treatment and monitoring at a large scale.
This will strain primary care providers, who may be overburdened with too many patients.
Nurse practitioners with MSN-PMHNP degrees can help ease this burden by providing primary care services at clinics or homes where they can monitor their patient’s health status regularly and work closely with them to plan treatment plans tailored to their needs.
The MSN-PMHNP degree gives nurses a deeper understanding of gerontology and aging issues, giving them better insight into how to care for older adults with mental disorders.
In addition, it provides an opportunity to specialize in palliative care or hospice nursing.
This specialization can help you advance your career and make yourself more marketable when looking for employment opportunities after completing your degree program.
Advanced Skills in Clinical Practice
As a nurse, you are always on the go. You are a professional who cares for people in their time of need and does it with all your heart.
Driven by the motivation to acquire more skills and knowledge, you can acquire advanced skills in clinical practice through an MSN-PMHNP degree.
The MSN-PMHNP degree will enable you to gain advanced skills in clinical practice by providing you with advanced training in clinical research, education, management, and leadership.
The program offers nurses the opportunity to gain specialized knowledge in gerontology, psychiatry and mental health, pediatrics, and women’s health.
Moreover, the MSN-PMHNP program will prepare students for leadership roles within their organizations and make them more valuable employees than their peers who have graduated from just an associate’s or bachelor’s degree program alone.
Bright Career Prospects
Psychiatric mental health nursing is a rapidly growing field as more and more people seek mental health treatment.
With this growth comes an increased need for qualified nurses who specialize in this field, especially those able to work with patients experiencing psychosis or other forms of severe mental illness.
According to the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, a mental health nurse practitioner is a promising nursing role in extremely high demand.
Since 2018, the jobs requiring PMHNP have increased by 225.83%, with psychiatric nurses with this degree likely to earn 34.87% above their average base salary.
The MSN-PMHNP degree is one of the highest-earning nursing degrees in the country.
With an average salary of $76,525 annually, psychiatric nurses can be sure to have a bright career prospect with this degree. This degree will also provide many job opportunities, as many employers highly value it.
Nurses who obtain this degree will be able to provide patients with more comprehensive care than they could have before, including treatment and management for chronic mental conditions.
They can also help improve access to care by working on a team that provides services in areas with a shortage of physicians or other medical professionals.
Summing Up
The MSN-PMHNP degree is a truly worthwhile one to pursue. It allows you to work in the medical field while also being able to specialize in mental health and addiction.
This allows you to help those suffering from mental health issues and stay in a field that will continuously grow and change with technological advancements.
Awesome one; I hope this article answers your question.
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