A career as a Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner is a natural extension of my personal, educational, and research experiences. Although my path to nursing has not been a straight line, every experience that put me on this path has shaped my passion and dedication to psychiatric nursing. After losing loved ones to suicide at a young age, I made a promise to myself and to them that I would dedicate my life to helping individuals struggling with mental illness. This promise led me to study Psychology at UC Berkeley, where I fell in love with clinical research investigating the efficacy of treatments for mental illness. Eager to gain experience for doctoral studies in Psychology, I began working in research as a Project Coordinator at the VA Palo Alto Health Care System. My first day in the Inpatient Psychiatric Unit at the VA, I nervously interviewed a 21-year-old veteran who was …show more content…
Each morning patients came in for assessment and the treatment team developed or altered existing treatment protocols. I longed to be part of this team, working to stabilize each patient so they could return home to pursue their goals. The nurses stood out to me as the team members at ground zero in the unit, working directly with patients, and advocating for them in meetings. As a Nurse Practitioner, I will provide this same standard of holistic care to my patients, taking into consideration their biological, social, psychological and cultural needs while developing and implementing treatment decisions. As a nurse I will develop the leadership skills and competence to uphold the commitment I made to make a differences in the lives of individuals and families affected by mental illness. In my career as a Nurse Practitioner I will do all I can to assist individuals and their families in recognizing, without stigma, the value of psychiatric assistance during times of stress and