Examining Nursing Specialties: Personal Choices and Career Paths

This discussion board post presents a student's decision to pursue a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) as a Family Nurse Practitioner, detailing the challenges faced during the decision-making process, such as concerns about direct patient impact, online program availability, and the scope of practice. The post also highlights the appeal of working with all age groups and the importance of direct patient contact. It mentions the American Association of Nurse Practitioners as a relevant professional organization. The first reply discusses psychiatric and mental health as a good specialty, emphasizing the increasing need for nurses in this field and the benefits of joining professional organizations like the Association of Advanced Practice Psychiatric Nurses. The second reply expresses agreement with the chosen specialty and reiterates the advantages of working in diverse settings and providing direct patient care, also supporting membership in the American Association of Nurse Practitioners. The assignment brief further outlines another student's interest in Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) and the challenges of choosing between mental health and brain injury care, along with the benefits of the PMHNP specialty.

Examining Nursing Specialties
Main post
I decided to pursue a Master of Science (MSN) as a Family Nurse Practitioner. However,
coming up with this decision was not that easy. I encountered different difficulties before I
eventually settled on that program. One of the difficulties was a dilemma as to whether a Family
Nurse Practitioner has direct impact on the patients or not. After thorough inquiry, I realized that
he/she works directly with patients from all age cadres (Hoffman & Guttendorf, 2017). Secondly, the
availability of the program online. I was not sure if the program is available since I spend most of my
time practicing. Furthermore, I was not sure if working as a family Nurse practitioner allows that
privilege of diagnosing and prescribing medications. It was after a previous experience where a
colleague had explained to me that the role of Family Nurse Practitioner is restricted to prevention
and wellness program.
I was driven by the fact that a family nurse practitioner works with all age groups unlike
other specialty that focus on either children or adults (Finneran & Kreye, 2019). Secondly, the idea of
having direct contact or impact to patients was more appealing. One professional organization
affiliated to my nursing specialty is the American Association of Nurse Practitioners. In order to
become a member, one must be a student or practicing as a nurse practitioner irrespective of the
field ("American Association of Nurse Practioners," n.d.). One is supposed to fill a membership
application form which is reviewed and then approved. Members are entitled to free journals and
several hours of free CE.
References
American Association of Nurse Practioners. (n.d.). https://www.pcpcc.org/executive/american-
association-nurse-practitioners-0

Finneran, J. M., & Kreye, J. M. (2019). Empowering the novice family nurse practitioner. Journal
of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, 1.
https://doi.org/10.1097/jxx.0000000000000336
Hoffman, L. A., & Guttendorf, J. (2017). Preparation and Evolving Role of the Acute Care Nurse
Practitioner. Chest, 152(6), 1339-1345. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chest.2017.08.007
First reply to student post
Psychiatric and mental health is a good specialty. In fact, this was my second choice. It is due
to the ever-increasing rates of depression among youths and elderly. Drug and substance abuse has
contributed to mental disorders and more nurses will be needed in future (Roehrig, 2016). It is
therefore a good move and you are likely to get employed sooner than expected.
Furthermore, joining a professional organization, Association of Advanced Practice
Psychiatric Nurses for your case is very beneficial. Besides creating a network which can lead to
employment, one can get access to free journals as well as continuous Education programs through
seminars ("Association of Advanced Practice Psychiatric Nurses," n.d.).
References
Association of Advanced Practice Psychiatric Nurses. (n.d.). https://www.aappn.org/
Roehrig, C. (2016). Mental Disorders Top The List Of The Most Costly Conditions In The United
States: $201 Billion. Health Affairs, 35(6), 1130-1135.
https://doi.org/10.1377/hlthaff.2015.1659
Second reply to second students post
Am glad we settled on the same specialty. Actually, this is one of the best specialties and you
should not regret. The fact that you can work in diverse setting as explained makes it a very

appealing specialty (Hoffman & Guttendorf, 2017). Furthermore, offering direct care to patients
offers or brings that sense of fulfillment among nurses.
It is also good that you are planning to be a member of the American Association of Nurse
Practitioners. It is one of the largest professional organization in America ("American Association of
Nurse Practioners," n.d.). Being a member comes with a lot of benefits like free journals as well as
scholarships to further your studies.
References
American Association of Nurse Practioners. (n.d.). https://www.pcpcc.org/executive/american-
association-nurse-practitioners-0
Hoffman, L. A., & Guttendorf, J. (2017). Preparation and Evolving Role of the Acute Care Nurse
Practitioner. Chest, 152(6), 1339-1345. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chest.2017.08.007