DNP Role Analysis Part 1

The purpose of this paper is to assess the role of a DNP-prepared PMHNP in advanced nursing practice competencies. It provides a distinct role description relevant to the prevailing gaps in care for mental health, skill set comparing DNP with MSN preparation of PMHNPs, and SWOT analysis on this role. This paper demonstrates how the DNP-prepared PMHNP is in an exclusive position to address disparities in mental health care delivery and to lead systemic improvements: DNP Role Analysis Part 1.

Specific DNP Role of Interest

The selected role is a DNP-prepared Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) because it lacks sufficient care about how mental health solutions remain scarce. According to Kumar et al. (2020), mental health disorders are among the leading causes of disability in the globe. A recent estimated probability pointed out that one out of five adults experiences a mental health condition each year in the United States alone, and symptom treatment seeking still presents a challenge (Colizzi et al., 2020).

This is partly the case, especially for individuals living in rural and underserved areas, as there are not enough mental health professionals to the ratio of all people. However, a DNP-prepared PMHNP has the competence to attend to these alterations by implementing strong evidence qualities, pursuing and supporting reforms, and directing specialist groups.

Current Gaps and the Need for This Role

The demand for the DNP-prepared PMHNP role emanates from drawbacks in mental health services. Mental health remains a vital challenge for millions of people, especially from rural and other hard-to-reach areas where practitioners are scarce. The escalation of mental health disorders, also exemplified by Cai et al. (2022), calls for filling the gaps. They include but are not limited to limited funding to support the services, fragmentation in the care delivery system, and the stigma associated with mental health services.

One of the most vital challenges is the lack of integration of primary and behavioral health services. Current healthcare practices have always classified mental health as a subcategory and hence provided it in that regard. Mental primary health integrated care models, which are crucial. Nevertheless, the application of these models demands leadership and systems thinking for which DNP-prepared professionals are expected.

Additionally, mental health policy and advocacy remain underdeveloped in many areas. Inequities relating to mental health services continue to persist, primarily the result of the gross discrepancy in the achievable reimbursement of services and insufficient legislative backing to allow for an enhanced scope of practice (Kirkbride et al., 2024). These are the systemic barriers that a DNP-prepared PMHNP possesses sufficient training and leadership competencies to meet those challenges, policy reforms, and care models.

By filling these gaps, DNP-prepared PMHNPs can advance practicable changes in mental health care delivery. Having received their higher education, they are ready to understand healthcare systems, assess their deficiencies, and develop approaches to improve the situation as well as increase the accessibility of improved healthcare to various population groups.

Differentiation between MSN and DNP in the Role

Leadership and Advocacy

The DNP-prepared PMHNPs are taught how to champion change in systems and policies in the area of mental health. For instance, they support increasing the scope of practice rules and parity for mental health services payment on insurance. Although PMHNPs prepared from the MSN program have good clinical competencies, they may not have the knowledge and highly developed leadership skill set necessary to effect organizational change on a grand scale (Birch et al., 2020).

Evidence-Based Practice (EBP)

EBP is an important component in DNP programs focusing on designing and implementing EBP interventions in organizational and patient care. This is in concordance with AACN Essential III, which is in clinical scholarship and analytical approaches to evidence-based practice (Birch et al., 2020). MSN-prepared nurses may incorporate and adapt more depending on formal practice guidelines as they may lack a similar level of education and understanding of respective research applications and assessments.

Systems Thinking

DNP-prepared PMHNPs are well-equipped with a systems level of thinking to address system challenges within the delivery of care. For example, they can develop telehealth programs for enhancing enrolment in the mental health sector of rural regions. MSN-prepared nurse specialists are clinical care delivery strategists who perhaps do not possess enough system thinking to engage these broader issues.

Interprofessional Collaboration

DNP-prepared PMHNPs are equipped to lead interdisciplinary teams, fostering collaboration and effective communication to optimize patient outcomes. Their training, outlined in AACN Essential VI, prepares them to manage team dynamics, resolve conflicts, and improve care coordination. MSN-prepared nurses, while strong team members, may lack the leadership skills needed to guide interprofessional teams.

SWOT Analysis

Strengths

The DNP-prepared PMHNP role offers numerous strengths, including advanced training in evidence-based practice. These practitioners use evidence from clinical research to help intervene and impact patient care in ways that generate desired results and, necessarily, the quality of health care.

Leadership is also an essential strength since DNP-prepared PMHNPs can lead patients’ interprofessional teams and advocate for diverse system changes. Besides, they are well positioned to deliver both behavioral health and primary health services, thus full-spectrum patient care. Advocacy skills also enable them to make policy changes and enhance mental health reimbursement policies (Turi et al., 2023).

Weaknesses

Still, the DNP-prepared PMHNP role has some weaknesses. Challenges such as high costs and a long time to complete the program can be a turn-off to nurses aspiring to do a DNP education. Further, many organizations practicing within the health sector are unfamiliar with the DNP role, and this limits the subject’s incorporation into conventional systems. In addition, getting support from other mental health workers, including psychiatrists, may be difficult because they may feel that this role intrudes on their domain.

Opportunities

The increasing demand for mental health providers presents significant opportunities for DNP-prepared PMHNPs. Tele-consultations are relatively new concepts, and their growth, especially in rural areas, provides these practitioners with a way of reaching more patients. Integrated care models also present avenues through which the DNP-prepared PMHNPs will have the potential to spearhead efforts that help to promote the seamless delivery of primary and behavioral health services. Also, about the elimination of stigma, and promotion of policy changes, they are capable of changing the mental health care systems.

Threats

Several external threats must be addressed for the role to achieve its full potential. Notably, most organizations continue to face immense financial and resource challenges in advancing these professions. For example, some states continue to hold restrictive spouses that exclude nursing practice autonomy for advanced practice nurses.

This is the reason for resistance to innovation relating to practice changes within the traditional healthcare environment hinders progress and, therefore, calls for strategic actions to create awareness among stakeholders concerning the added value of DNP-prepared PMHNPs (Turi et al., 2023).

The SWOT analysis highlights the significant contributions of the DNP-prepared PMHNP while addressing the challenges and opportunities for maximizing its impact.

Conclusion

The DNP-prepared PMHNP role is essential to mitigate the mental crisis and to provide holistic, evidence-based care. Their advanced skills in leadership, advocacy, and collaboration put their power to the work of changing systems to increase access, equity, and outcomes. A SWOT analysis identifies opportunities for expanded roles but also challenges in acceptance, education costs, and scope of practice limitations. Overall, DNP-backed PMHNPs demonstrate how advanced nursing education prepares practitioners to handle the many facets of current healthcare demands.

References

Birch, K., Ling, A., & Phoenix, B. (2020). Psychiatric nurse practitioners as leaders in behavioral health integration. The Journal for Nurse Practitioners, 17(1). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nurpra.2020.09.001

Cai, A., Mehrotra, A., Germack, H. D., Busch, A. B., Huskamp, H. A., & Barnett, M. L. (2022). Trends in mental health care delivery by psychiatrists and nurse practitioners in Medicare, 2011–19. Health Affairs, 41(9), 1222–1230. https://doi.org/10.1377/hlthaff.2022.00289

Colizzi, M., Lasalvia, A., & Ruggeri, M. (2020). Prevention and early intervention in youth mental health: Is it time for a multidisciplinary and trans-diagnostic model for care? International Journal of Mental Health Systems, 14(1), 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13033-020-00356-9

Kirkbride, J. B., Anglin, D. M., Colman, I., Dykxhoorn, J., Jones, P. B., Patalay, P., Pitman, A., Soneson, E., Steare, T., Wright, T., & Griffiths, S. L. (2024). The social determinants of mental health and disorder: Evidence, prevention and recommendations. World Psychiatry: Official Journal of the World Psychiatric Association (WPA), 23(1), 58–90. https://doi.org/10.1002/wps.21160

Kumar, A., Kearney, A., Hoskins, K., & Iyengar, A. (2020). The role of psychiatric mental health nurse practitioners in improving mental and behavioral health care delivery for children and adolescents in multiple settings. Archives of Psychiatric Nursing, 34(5), 275–280. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apnu.2020.07.022

Turi, E., McMenamin, A., Kueakomoldej, S., Kurtzman, E., & Poghosyan, L. (2023). The effectiveness of nurse practitioner care for patients with mental health conditions in primary care settings: A systematic review. Nursing Outlook, 71(4), 101995. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.outlook.2023.101995

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The purpose of this assignment is for you to evaluate your current or new role relative to the required skill competencies of a DNP-prepared nurse.

2-Part Assignment:

• Part 1 (this assignment) will focus on a description of the role and what the DNP/MSN nurse will bring to the role. Please be sure to include a SWOT analysis for Part I.
  • Information on what a SWOT analysis is and consist of can be found in Schadewald (2024), pages 320-321.
  • SWOT Analysis Exemplar: Manage Endoscopy Service SWOT Analysis 
• Part 2 (later this term) will consist of a PEST analysis and the next steps in moving your chosen role into a DNP level.
• The final paper will include both Part 1 and 2 and should be approximately 10-12 pages in length (excluding the cover, references, and any appendices).
• References will be completed for both parts of the paper.

Areas to address in Part 1:

• A clear description of the specific DNP role of interest and why it was chosen.
• An identification of any current gaps in the role and why the role is needed.
• Make a differentiation between the MSN and DNP in the role. (i.e., What skills will a DNP-prepared nurse have that an MSN-prepared RN would not?)
• Conducts a SWOT analysis, with references for findings
  

  DNP Role Analysis Part 1

Exemplars:
These exemplars are sampled from former students’ work with permission. We share them to give you a better understanding of what is expected for this assignment. To ensure academic honesty and to avoid plagiarism, it is important that you do not borrow sections or copy from these exemplars in any way.

• DNP 802 Role Development Paper: Part 1 Only Exemplar 
• DNP 802 Role Development Paper #1: Part 1 & 2 Exemplar 
• DNP Role Development Paper #2: Part 1 & 2 (SWOT) Exemplar 

This assignment enables the learners to meet Course SLO #1, 4. Here is a copy of the assignment rubric: DNP 802 Role Analysis Part 1 and 2 Rubric. Summer 20.docx

PLEASE NOTE:

• This assignment will be graded with feedback within 7 days after submission.
• Students who earn <80 on the written assignments have the option to revise their paper in order to earn a final grade of 80%.
• The revised paper must be completed by the next week, and only one revision for each assignment is permitted.
• All papers submitted to Canvas will go through a similarity checker called Turnitin to determine your paper’s likeness to other articles, books, prior students’ work, etc., to reduce the likelihood of plagiarism
• You can review your Turnitin report immediately, make adjustments to your paper (i.e., add citations, revise sections, etc.), and then resubmit to Canvas.
• Student Guide to Interpreting Turnitin Similarity ReportLinks to an external site.

Textbook:

• Schadewald, D.M. (2024). Zaccagnini & White’s core competencies for advanced practice nursing: A guide for DNPs. Jones Bartlett Learning. ISBN-13: 978-1284288391 ISBN-10: 1284288390
• Module 4 Resources

Note:

• If needed, the client previously mentioned she was studying to be a PMHNP