Highlights
- •Online post-master’s PMHNP certificate programs can be efficient and effective in increasing access to mental health.
- •Nurse practitioners with education and certification in more than one population foci are likely to merge the competencies in practice.
- •Rural mental health care workforce retention can be achieved by recruiting nurse practitioners who are already committed to rural living.
- •Long-term sustainability requires competent educators to teach NP students how to identify and address health disparities, and monitor impact.
Abstract
To address a growing need for primary care nurse practitioners to provide mental health
care, grant support was obtained to create an accelerated online post-master's psychiatric-mental
health nurse practitioner (PMHNP) program. A participatory evidence-informed framework
(PEPPA-Plus) was used to 1) evaluate the program structures and processes from the
perspectives of program graduates, and within this context, to evaluate outcomes following
graduation, and 2) to evaluate the impact of the program through the implementation
of the dual nurse practitioner role. Approximately half (56%) of the graduates completed
a 40-item web-based survey. Ninety-nine percent of those who had taken the PMHNP exam
were certified as PMHNPs, 99% were dually certified as primary care NPs, 86% reported
that their scope of practice had changed to include the delivery of more mental health
care services, and 27% were providing both mental and physical health care in integrated
care settings. The vast majority (90%) reported a moderate to very high level of confidence
in their PMHNP competency, 60% were teaching psychiatric-mental health nursing as
preceptors, educators, or new program directors and 29% were providing care in communities
with <50,000 residents. Over half of the graduates were committed to staying in their
current practice position for at least the next five years. These findings demonstrate
the success of the online program in producing graduates who utilize dual NP competencies
in practice, at least 25% of whom are treating populations in non-urban settings,
in integrated care settings, and treating populations with high social and environmental
risk factors.
Keywords
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Article Info
Publication History
Published online: March 24, 2022
Accepted:
March 13,
2022
Received in revised form:
February 27,
2022
Received:
August 4,
2021
Identification
Copyright
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