Nursing is becoming more challenging in today’s healthcare system due to rapid technological advancements and evolving healthcare policies. As a dedicated nursing professional with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), driven by a great passion for learning, I strive to stay on course with these market changes. I am thrilled to apply and express my interest in pursuing my DNP program at Regis College. I am particularly choosing Regis College because of its top-rated nursing programs offered by renowned and practicing professionals, which could combine practical knowledge with theoretical skills to equip learners with the most relevant skills needed in the nursing profession. I am currently working with Behavioral Health Hospital as a mental health therapist. I plan to pursue the DNP program at Regis College, specializing in mental health. The primary goal is to advance my knowledge in the field to become an instrumental support system in providing quality healthcare for people with mental health challenges.
DNP Program Goals and Expectations
Working at Behavioral Health Hospital has forever changed my life in ways that cannot be quantified, and pursuing a DPN program specializing in mental health would amplify my professional goals in tangible and intangible ways. My first goal in pursuing the DNP program at Regis College is to advance my knowledge and skills in the nursing practice. This would include expanding my fundamental knowledge base in mental health therapy practices, enabling me to practice at a much more elevated level. I hold a BSN degree, which makes me stand out in pursuing your renowned college’s Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP).
Secondly, while working at Behavioral Health Hospital as a mental health therapist, I have witnessed community members survive multiple social challenges that lead to mental health challenges. That said, my second goal is to practice as a nursing professional at the advanced level, holding a managerial position to develop and implement community-based nursing and therapeutic programs that would help address the mental health challenges from the root cause. Pursuing a DNP degree would enhance my leadership abilities in healthcare care settings to help me meet this goal.
My third goal for pursuing the DNP program at Regis College would be to gain the academic qualifications and relevant certifications to offer advanced mental health nursing care for individuals, communities, families, and populations. The program would uplift my abilities to synthesize the research-based evidence to successfully create, implement, and evaluate EBP intervention programs that address the issue of mental health challenges at the community level. The knowledge gained would help me make profound contributions to evidence-based practice and research.
Fourthly, I plan to pursue a DNP program with high expectations to demonstrate advanced practice expert values, knowledge, and skills in the mental health specialty to improve the treatment and therapeutic outcomes that address the fundamental nursing professionals’ key competencies. Lastly, the DNP program would equip me with advanced healthcare knowledge, reflecting current market trends, and enhance my capability to appraise and utilize modern telehealth technologies like telemedicine to offer remote mental health treatments to patients with mobility challenges. From my experience as a practicing nurse in a mental health specialty, it is evident to me that most people with mental health challenges do not seek healthcare assistance due to logistical challenges.
Anticipated Contributions to the Nursing Profession and the Public After DNP Program Completion
Completing advanced studies for the nursing profession would have significant benefits for the nursing profession and the community. The DNP program will upgrade my skills to better serve the community by advocating for a safe and quality healthcare system. DNP degree holder a significant honor and respect in the communities, and this will grant me the privilege to secure an executive role and actively collaborate with interdisciplinary teams and healthcare authorities to advocate for healthcare system reforms in favor of streamlining the entire profession, improving nurse practitioners’ welfare, and improving patient safety and quality of care. This would also improve the patient’s treatment outcomes. Practicing nursing at the advanced level, I will contribute to enhancing the nursing profession through profound policymaking to impact the healthcare environment, employee safety, nurse welfare, and their working environment. Developing patient-centric treatment plans, building a collaborative interdisciplinary team, and innovating tech-based innovations with healthcare structures would help improve the quality of care and patient treatment outcomes. As a DNP nurse specialist in mental health, I would develop and implement community-based mental health programs to assess and treat the affected populations, hence impacting the quality of life for the diverse populations. The community-based mental health programs would also help increase access to advanced healthcare services. Also, pursuing a DNP degree at Regis College would enhance my credibility and recognition as a nursing professional in the labor market.
Scholarly Practice Focus: Practice Issue, QI Issue, Education, or Leadership
The DNP degree from Regis College would help me identify and address the gaps currently in the nursing practice and develop and implement quality-of-care initiatives in healthcare settings. Other DNP program scholarly practice focuses include advancing nursing education and training programs and developing effective leadership strategies in healthcare organizations.
Reasons for Pursuing the Specialty
Various profound reasons informed my decision to pursue DNP programs, majoring in mental health. First, American communities, especially minority groups, are faced with multiple social and economic challenges, something that translates into emotional and mental health issues. Today, one in every five people in America is currently experiencing or has at some point in their life experienced mental health challenges. Approximately one in every 25 adults lives with a serious mental illness (Liu et al., 2023). These alarming statistics prompted me to specialize in mental health studies to acquire the necessary skills to develop and implement community-based mental health programs to help improve their quality of life. The goal is to meet the growing demand for primary care providers, especially those in the mental health specialty.
The second motivation was the nursing profession’s future outlook. The American healthcare system is suffering from a huge shortage of nurses. Since COVID-19, mental health challenges have increased globally, causing a huge demand for mental health psychiatrists and therapists. According to 2022 statistics, 47% of the US population lived with mental illness following the impact of COVID-19, while a significant number of psychiatrists exited the profession for their safety (Phillips, 2023). The massive shortage of mental health illness specialists would help me secure a handsomely paying job quickly. Other factors that informed the decision to pursue DNP programs are the desire to expand the scope of practice and provide comprehensive care and the intrinsic pressure to address the specific healthcare needs of diverse populations.
References
Liu, J., Zhou, Z., Cheng, X., & Vangeepuram, N. (2023). Geographic and sociodemographic variations in prevalence of mental health symptoms among US youths, 2022. American Journal of Public Health, 113(10), 1116–1119.https://doi.org/10.2105/ajph.2023.307355
Phillips, L. (2023). A Closer Look at The Mental Health Provider Shortage. https://ct.counseling.org/2023/05/a-closer-look-at-the-mental-health-provider-shortage/
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