Nursing Specialty Choice
Peer 1
Nursing Specialty Choice
Main Post
My choice of nursing specialty within the program is Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP). As an FNP, I can care for children and adults. I currently work and run a medical spa that sees a large population of dermatology patients. The Nurse Practitioner who owns the medical spa sees many teenagers with acne problems and other skin concerns. With my FNP, I can take over the clinic as the primary provider to see patients of all ages.
There are more than 100 nursing organizations, each representing a subgroup of the profession, all of which aim to unite for advocacy around the mission of that organization (Cherry et al., 2019). The organization I will join is the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP). I have already visited the site, created an account, and researched the membership. AANP has a student discount, which is $55 per year. With membership to the AANP, you get complete access to the research database, free continuing education, email updates with any governmental changes, and much more! With more than 121,000 members strong, you are joining a community of vibrant and diverse nurse practitioners (NPs) who have chosen to put their passion for improving the health of our nation into practice by supporting the advancement of the NP role (American Association of Nurse Practitioners, 2012).
Having membership in an organization is a great idea. It keeps you updated on any changes in the field that you are in. I’ve always kept up with an organization in the area that I have committed to. The organization I belonged to, up till recently, was AACN, American Association of Critical Care Nurses. Critical care used to be the field of nursing I belonged to. I also kept up my CCRN since 2014. When I tested for my CCRN, having my AACN helped me get a discounted rate for testing out. Professional organizations can serve as a venue for nurses to become engaged in the transformation of healthcare delivery (Echevarria, 2018).
If I had stayed in critical care, it would have been a difficult decision to decide between family or the adult route. In intensive care, you mostly see adults, but that limits your access to only caring for adults. Now, I have changed my passion to aesthetics and dermatology; it was an easy pick for the family route.
American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP). (2012). AANP Membership Benefits. https://www.aanp.org/membership/member-benefits Links to an external site. .
Cherry, B., Caramanica, L, Everett, L. Q., Fennimore, L., & Elaine, S. (2019). Leveraging the power of board leadership in professional nursing organizationsLinks to an external site. Links to an external site. . JONA: The Journal of Nursing Administration, 49(11), 517-519.
Echevarria, I. M. (2018). Make connections by joining a professional nursing organizationLinks to an external site. Links to an external site. . Nursing, 48(12), 35–38
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Peer 2
Felicia Lyn Lacy
YesterdayNov 13 at 7:25pm
My decision to advance my nursing career was made with the plan of opening new opportunities such as leadership roles or advanced clinical practices with a more attractive salary in an environment where I may help others. I have worked as a psychiatric nurse for the past five years, and I find this area very humbling and rewarding therefore the decision to pursue the Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) track was an easy decision for me. I was comfortable in my role as a psych nurse. I wanted to explore my options to “Play a bigger role in raising awareness of societal issues around mental illness and become a catalyst for social change” (Walden University n.d.).
I am also interested in seeking a doctoral degree shortly after completing the MSN program. DNPs, according to the National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties, “are able to apply skills in technology and information literacy, and engage in practice inquiry to improve health outcomes, policy, and healthcare delivery.” My challenge in becoming a PMHNP is juggling work, family (as a single parent), and school. Sometimes, I would like to commit to a part-time work schedule, but financially, this would be to my detriment. Time management is therefore critical to me to ensure success in the program.
The organization that interests me the most that I am considering becoming a member is the American Psychiatric Nurses Association (APNA). “Nurses should consider the following factors when deciding between professional organizations: what they seek to gain from membership, which organization is best aligned with their current practice role and whether the professional organization demonstrates nursing advocacy” (Echevarria, 2018). APNA currently has over 30 000 members, and becoming a member is simple and may be accomplished with just a phone call. The annual membership is about $135, with discounted memberships available where you can communicate, vote on policies, serve on committees, benefit from educational programs, and connect to the exceptional resources available.
References
Echevarria, I. M. (2018). Make connections by joining a professional nursing organizationLinks to an external site. Links to an external site. . Nursing, 48(12), 35–38.
The National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties. (2012). Nurse Practitioner core competenciesLinks to an external site. Links to an external site. . https://cdn.ymaws.com/www.nonpf.org/resource/resmgr/competencies/npcorecompetenciesfinal2012.pdf Links to an external site.
Walden University. (n.d.). Master of Science in Nursing (MSN)Links to an external site. Links to an external site. . Retrieved November 14, 2018, from https://www.waldenu.edu/masters/master-of-science-in-nursing
