PMHNP Certification Plan

PMHNP Certification Plan

Write a 2- to 3-page paper in which you do the following:

Describe the PMHNP practice environment for your home state, highlighting restrictions or limitations for practice.
Compare the PMHNP practice environment in your home state with a neighboring state or a state in which you would like to practice.
Describe a professional and/or clinical practice issue a new PMHNP will need to consider and address with the certification, licensure, credentialing, or relocation process. PMHNP Certification Plan.
Develop a checklist for passing the national certification exam, including a detailed timeline that includes academic preparation (study plan), registration, financial preparation, etc.
My state of residence is Maryland and Virginia and District of Columbia is my neighboring states

 

Certification Plan

Describe the PMHNP practice environment for your home state, highlighting restrictions or limitations for practice.

My home state is Maryland. Psychiatric nursing practitioners in the state must be certified as such with a registered nursing license from the State of Maryland. Additionally, the nurse should have completed all the course work and successfully passed the relevant Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner Board examination. The practice environment is regulated by the Board of Nursing (Varcarolis, 2013). Also, the nurse should have the capacity to comprehensively make psychiatric evaluations, diagnosis and recommendations for treatment. Maryland State laws make a lot of demands on PMHNP. PMHNP Certification Plan Firstly, practitioners seeking state license must be registered nurses, and have hands-on and direct supervised clinical experience that covers at least 500 hours. The hands-on experience counts as part of the nursing education program and is noted in official transcripts. A supervisor’s verification should also be included as proof of the work experience. Secondly, the nurse should pass a competency-based evaluation for professional knowledge that includes summative performance evaluation for clinical competency that is managed by a board approved institution. Thirdly, the nurse should disclose the license status prior to meeting new clients. Finally, the practice license should be renewed upon expiry (Maryland Board of Nursing, 2017).

Compare the PMHNP practice environment in your home state with a neighboring state or a state in which you would like to practice.

PMHNP practice environment in Maryland State is slightly difference from the environment in Virginia State. Firstly, the practice environment in Virginia State is regulated by the Board of Nursing and Board of Medicine whereas the practice environment in Maryland State is regulated by the Board of Nursing. Secondly, in Maryland State, the regulatory structure covers full practice whereas the regulatory structure in Virginia State is for restricted practice. Finally, in Maryland State, the PMHNP license requirements are having national certification, completing a psychiatric nursing education program, and having a registered nurse license. Virginia State presents stricter requirements by demanding that the nurse must have a graduate degree along with the other requirements that are presented in the Maryland State regulations (American Association of Nurse Practitioners, 2018) PMHNP Certification Plan. In this respect, the main difference between the practice difference in Maryland State and Virginia State is that the later has the additional presence of the Board of medicine as a regulator and the need for practitioners to have at least a graduate degree.

Describe a professional and/or clinical practice issue a new PMHNP will need to consider and address with the certification, licensure, credentialing, or relocation process.

One of the clinical practice issues that a new PMHNP must consider and address is the need to pass the local state board administered competency-based evaluation for professional nursing knowledge. Credentialing would indicate that the nurse is a competent professional who has been evaluated by a board approved organization as well as the American Council of Education and determined to be a competent nurse (Commonwealth of Virginia, 2018).

Develop a checklist for passing the national certification exam, including a detailed timeline that includes academic preparation (study plan), registration, financial preparation, etc.

Preparing for the national certification exam would necessitate meeting the qualifications and eligibility requirements as presented by the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners. Firstly, there is a need to meet the educational requirements by attending and graduating from a recognized institutional. This includes registering for and attending classes as well as performing well in school. Secondly, ensuring that the core courses for PMHNP are successfully completed with the minimum hours’ requirement for faculty supervised direct patient care met. Thirdly, ensuring that the education program is accredited by an independent national nursing organization recognized by the Department of Education. PMHNP Certification Plan. Fourthly, having a current registered nursing license. Fourthly, ensuring that the educational preparation is congruent with the corresponding national certification process and exam. Fifthly, registering for the national certification examination and revising to sit the exam. Finally, attending the national certification examination once all the other requirements have been met (American Academy of Nurse Practitioners Certification Board, 2018; see Figure 1).

PMHNP Certification Plan

Figure 1. Checklist for passing the national certification examination

References

American Academy of Nurse Practitioners Certification Board (2018).  Family Nurse Practitioner, Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner: Certification candidate handbook. Retrieved from http://www.aanpcert.org/resource/documents/AGNP%20FNP%20Candidate%20Handbook.pdf

American Association of Nurse Practitioners (2018). State Practice Environment. Retrieved from https://www.aanp.org/legislation-regulation/state-legislation/state-practice-environment PMHNP Certification Plan

Commonwealth of Virginia (2018). Chapter 19. Regulations Governing the Practice of Nursing. Retrieved from https://law.lis.virginia.gov/admincode/title18/agency90/chapter19/section140/

Maryland Board of Nursing (2017). Advanced Practice Registered Nursing: Nurse practitioners. Retrieved from http://mbon.maryland.gov/Pages/adv-prac-nurse-practitioner-index.aspx

Varcarolis, E. (2013). Essentials of Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing: A communication approach to evidence-based care. St. Louis, MO: Elsevier/Saunders. PMHNP Certification Plan.

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