ESSAY: Week 1 Practicum Journal Entry: Certification Plan

To prepare for this Practicum Journal:

Review the interactive nurse practitioner (NP) scope of practice law guide in your Learning Resources.
Review your state regulations and a neighboring state or state in which you would like to practice.
Reflect on how to approach relocating licensure from one state to another.
Review certification exam requirements for PMHNPs.
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.
Develop a checklist for passing the national certification exam, including a detailed timeline that includes academic preparation (study plan), registration, financial preparation, etc.
State- Mississippi.

ANSWER

Week 1 Practicum Journal Entry: Certification Plan

            Preparing for certification is a crucial activity in the achievement of my career goals. Therefore, it would be wise to be organized and focused on the sustenance of the requirements of the certification. I am assessing the PMHNP practice environment in Mississippi to understand the expectations for successful completion, certification, and licensure. The journal will be my guide to be a competent nurse both in Mississippi and Alabama.

PMHNP Environment in Mississippi

            Every PMHNP student should be prepared to serve in clinics, correction settings, rehabilitation centers, and nursing homes. The demand for PMHNP is on the increase to assess and treat individuals suffering from mental health disorders or related potential illnesses. In Mississippi, a student must understand the state laws to fit in the PMHNP environment.

            The practice authority controls the scope of the relationship between the PMHNP and the physicians. At first, a PMHNP is expected to work under close supervision by a physician (Scope of Practice Policy, 2020). The relationship is built on an agreement to collaborate in consultation or referrals. At this incidence, NP has access to guidelines on clinical practice and the necessary steps to take on the patient in the absence of the physician. The Board of Nursing approves the procedures to ensure the NP understands and follows the regulatory standards (Scope of Practice Policy, 2020). After completing a Mississippi State Board of Nursing examination program, the NP becomes eligible for prescribing drugs. Importantly, the state recognizes NPs as primary care providers, which is an authorization to provide fundamental health care practices (Scope of Practice Policy, 2020).  In Mississippi, the roles of managing healthcare among the PMHNP has expanded significantly over the past years.  Although the state law considers NPs as primary care providers, it is essential to note they are not equal to doctors since they have a lower level of autonomy. 

Comparing PMHNP in Mississippi to Alabama

            The profound differences between working in Mississippi and the state of Alban are that every state has different regulatory bodies. For example, in Mississippi, the prescriptive authority demands collaborative practice engagement with the supervisor under the MS Board of nursing using the MS Nursing Practice Law as the practice Act (DeCapua, 2018). However, in Alabama, collaborative practice is also embraced, but the AL Board of Nursing and AL Board of Nursing Administrative Code apply. Therefore, when transferring from Mississippi to Alabama, there is a need to consider exceptional requirements to fit in the restrictions and regulations.  The codes in each state vary significantly.               Despite the differences in authority from one state to another, there are shared basic practices in the environment in full practice, reduced practice, and restricted practice. All PMHNP are allowed to diagnose, interpret diagnostic tests, recommend, and manage treatment procedures for the patient (AANP, 2020). The National Council of State Boards of Nursing recommends full practice in the PMHNP environment. Therefore, as a nurse in any state, I can interact with psychiatric patients, identify their condition, identify the source, recommend in-patient or out-patient, and then follow up on the patient’s progress. However, a PMHNP is limited to one or more elements of NP and, in this case, dealing with psychiatric patients (AANP, 2020). In both states, reduced practice is stated under the collaborative agreement to enhance supervision, efficiency, and competency in providing patient care. Lastly, the restricted practice requires PMHNPs to engage in at least one element of PMHNP practice under