Advanced Practice Psychiatric Nurse

During my freshman year of high school, I was admitted into a mental facility. This brought a lot of stress towards my family and myself. Being hospitalized is very difficult to cope with due to all the new things that are introduced. In the beginning, I was not very cooperative in my therapy nor in taking my medications. It was a hard transition for me because taking medication meant relying on them now. Also, this was a difficult situation for my parents to go through because they had never dealt with mental disorders or medication. Throughout my stay, the psychiatric nurses ensured that every patient was comfortable. They were also in charge of giving us one-on-one therapy, meaning they really got to know every individual in the unit. When
According to Advanced practice psychiatric nurses article,“they need a master's degree, building upon a bachelors degree in nursing”(Student Resources In Context 2014) .This usually ranges from six years and up. Many students that want to go into this field go to intensive graduate nursing programs. The programs they mostly focus on a pathophysiology, psychopharmacology, advanced health assessment, and brain and behavior studies (Resources In Context 2014).Their studies do not stop once they graduate. After obtaining their master's degree, nurses have to take a national certification exam that is made by the American Nurses Credentialing Center. Also, nurses need to have a license in order to work in the United States. According to Advanced practice psychiatric nurses, “to become licensed, they must have graduated from an approved nursing program and passed the National Council Examination” (Student Resources In Context 2014). On top of all the licenses and certifications that psychiatric nurses need, they also need to sign up and take courses in order to maintain them. They have to obtain up to 1,000 clinical hours of patient care and have the minimum of 75 hours of education every 5 years (Student Resources In Context 2014). Although the salary for this work field is not very important to me, it is still a well-paying job. The average advanced practice psychiatric nurse makes
After high school I plan to attend city college and obtain my associates degree. I believe this is a safe route because it will save me a lot of money instead of going straight to a four year university. After I receive my associate’s degree, I will transfer into a university. I plan on attending a university that is in Illinois because the tuition is much cheaper. This again will help me save money.The university that I'm looking towards will have a nursing program which will benefit me because I need to obtain a bachelor's degree in nursing. After I transfer into a university, I'll be in school for four years and obtain my master’s degree. I plan on paying the off school by working. Also, the scholarships I have applied to will help me as well. The money that I receive from FAFSA will also contribute in helping me pay off my tuition. By staying here I will be able to stay with my parents therefore my expenses won't be so much. After I graduate, I'll get certified and get my license and hopefully start working. I want to succeed in my goal because I know how important mental health is. Everyone needs to have a healthy mindset in order to function