Mental Health Nursing: APNA's Impact on Professional Development

This report provides a detailed overview of the American Psychiatric Nurses Association (APNA), focusing on its significance for mental health nurses. It explores the organization's purpose, mission, and vision, highlighting its role in advancing psychiatric nursing practice. The report discusses the benefits of APNA membership, including networking opportunities, access to continuing education, and professional development resources. It emphasizes the importance of networking for nurses in the specialty field and how APNA facilitates this through conferences and online platforms. The report also examines how APNA keeps its members informed about changes in healthcare and practice, and the various programs and activities it offers to promote continuing education and professional growth, such as elearning centers and access to grants and career advice. The report concludes by underscoring APNA's crucial role in supporting the professional development of mental health nurses.

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Purpose, mission and vision of the professional nursing organization:
The American Psychiatric Nurses Association (APNA) is a professional organization that
is focussed on advancing practice, skills and education of mental health nurses. The core purpose
of the organization is to be the unifying voice of psychiatric-mental health nursing. The main
mission of ANPA is to promote the specialty practice of mental health nursing and promote
health and wellness through the identification of mental illness, prevention of mental problems
and treating patients with psychiatric disorders. Their action is based on the values of inclusivity,
empowerment, integrity, innovation, stewardship, collegiality and integrity (American
Psychiatric Nurses Association, 2015). Therefore, nurses willing to enter the field of mental
health nursing are likely to get maximum benefits from ANA as it will act as expert voice for
mental nursing to stakeholders and play a role in integrating practice and education to enhance
skills of nurse willing to enter the mental health field. Hence, the APNA is a crucial resource for
mental health nurse who are members of this organization as they will get all opportunities to
voice their opinion regarding challenges in mental health practice.
Role of the organization in creating networking opportunities for nurses:
For current mental health nurse or those aspiring to enter the specialty area of mental
health nursing, networking is important for their career progression and professional
development. It provides nurse with access to numerous occasions where they can interact and
collaborate with seniors in the field and enhance nursing care. Networking with relevant
stakeholders will provide them the opportunity to develop positive relationship with individuals
who are already in the mental health nursing field and get proper guidance regarding pursuing
professional goals (Khanum et al., 2016). For nurses, there are various ways to engage in

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professional networking. This includes coming in contact with staffs of the specialty area or
through contact with industry specific organization. Hence, as APNA is focused on mental
nursing advancement, new aspirant nurse can get better idea regarding their career advancement
by becoming the member of this organization. Networking at APNA takes place by means of
annual conference. After attending this conference, members also get the opportunity to continue
conversation with key leaders or staffs of the organization and get useful idea regarding the way
to upgrade skills and overcome challenging situations in mental practice (American Psychiatric
Nurses Association, 2015). There are many aspiring nurses whose lives have changed after
taking part in the annual conference.
Role of the organization in keeping members informed about changes in practice:
APNA is specifically committed to improving mental health practice. It keeps it members
informed about latest changes in practice by publishing current standards that guide practice.
APNA is the most informative sources for mental health nurse and other team members as it
shares information regarding current change in practice through conferences too. Latest best
practices related to psychiatric mental health is disseminated through annual conferences too.
Another most important service through which APNA provides information access to its
members includes development of ‘MEMBER BRIDGE’, the networking and discussion site of
APNA. This site helps members to share each other’s expertise and knowledge and engage in
discussions regarding hot topics and tips from colleagues. They also get the advantage to connect
with a mentor or mentee and engage in appropriate professional networking and learning too
(APNA, 2019).

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Opportunities for continuing education and professional development:
APNA has many programs and activities in place to promote continuing education and
professional development of mental health nurses. It provides opportunity for continuing
education by holding two national conferences every year in the month of June and October. The
advantage of these national conferences is that it helps interested members get access to many
programs that can promote skill development. Other activities at APNA that focus on continuing
includes the elearning centers of the institute that offers online education in the area of
medication assisted treatment (MAT) training, special skills for psychiatric nurses and effective
treatments for different types of opioid use disorders. The elearning centers also promote
individualized learning by providing members the opportunity to search for lessons based on
categories or types of contents. This helps nurses to quick search for relevant study materials and
expands their knowledge and skills related to mental health nursing. Currently, APNA provides
their members access to more than 230 online continuing education sessions. Other opportunities
for professional growth provided by APNA includes implementation of chapter regional events
and giving members support by access to applications for grants and scholarships and access to
career advice through APNA CareerLine (APNA, 2019).

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References:
American Psychiatric Nurses Association (2015). APNA STRATEGIC DIRECTION. Retrieved
from: https://www.apna.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=3287
American Psychiatric Nurses Association (2015). Networking at the APNA 27th Annual
Conference. Retrieved from: https://www.apna.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=5396
APNA (2019). WHY JOIN? . Retrieved from: https://www.apna.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?
pageid=3680
Khanum, S., Souza, M., Naz, N., Sasso, G., Brüggemann, O., & Heideman, I. (2016). The use of
networking in nursing practice—An integrative review. Societies, 6(3), 22.