My Goals and University Vision and Mission

            Being an emergency nurse for over six years and providing bedside patient care to various populations with different medical conditions, has led me to want to advance my degree further than my BSN. Originally, I was interested in the Adult Geriatric Nurse Practitioner Program because I have always favored the geriatric population. Being able to work in the crisis unit with psychiatric patients in the emergency room has led me to take on an interest in mental health nursing. My professional goal is to work full-time as a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner in a long-term care Alzheimer’s unit or long term care psychiatric facility.

I started my career goal at Monmouth University taking classes towards my Adult Geriatric Advanced Nurse Practitioner degree. After four semesters at Monmouth University, I transferred to Walden University where I changed my advanced degree to focus on Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner. Walden University was referred to me by a friend that is a travel nurse, noting how flexible it was to be able to move around to different states and still work on his education. This drew me to looking into an online school. After researching Walden, I found the mission and vision was exactly the type of education I was looking for. The MSN Learning Outcomes noted in the College of Nursing coincides with how I feel about mental health and the type of treatment each individual patient should receive. The resources in mental health are minimal so providing “cost-effective specialist nursing practice that contributes to high-quality healthcare delivery” (Walden University, n.d., MSN Learning Outcomes section) is crucial to learn.

According to Walden University’s mission and vision statement (Walden University, 2020) the university gives students the opportunity to promote social change in communities of diverse populations by providing them with education that enables advanced practice nurses to obtain knowledge and develop the skills to become scholar-practitioners. Being able to work with diverse populations in a variety of settings within mental health is a professional goal of mine as a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner. Advancing my degree at Walden University gives me the motivation to participate in committees and associations related to mental health so I can advocate for a higher quality of evidenced based care for patients.

Social Change

During the years I have been a nurse, having the opportunity to learn more about healthcare policies drives me to be more involved to provide patients with quality patient care. Walden University states that “positive social change results in the improvement of human and social conditions” (Walden University, 2020). I would like to incorporate positive social change in my everyday work as a PMHNP by joining organizations that promote health policy on behalf of the mental health population. Nurse Practitioners have the opportunity to make a major impact in healthcare by promoting positive social change on a global level through the involvement in various organizations relating to health policy (Chilton, 2015). While finishing my degree at Walden University, I would like build on my network in various ways to be able to improve outcomes in healthcare. I want to influence those around me and make a difference in mental health all over, not just nursing practice.

References

Chilton, L. (2015). Nurse practitioners Have an Essential Role in Health Policy. The Journal of Nurse Practitioners, A19.

Walden University. (2020). Vision, Mission, and Goals. Retrieved June 1, 2020, from https://catalog.waldenu.edu/content.php?catoid=172&navoid=59420

Walden University. (n.d.). MSN Learning Outcomes. Retrieved June 1, 2020, from https://catalog.waldenu.edu/preview_program.php?catoid=172&poid=67151&returnto=59823

Discussion: Networking Opportunities

In this module, you begin laying the foundation for your academic and professional success. Your efforts begin with a vision that includes your own definition of success. Your vision may vary from those of your colleagues, but this does not mean you have to take these first steps alone.

Walden University and the College of Nursing also have a vision and mission, which include helping you to make your own vision a reality. Members of your new academic community, such as faculty, support teams, and fellow students, can also be helpful. Current practitioners and other member of the professional community can also help you to clarify your vision.

This Module’s Discussion asks you to consider how the Walden mission and vision as well as the College of Nursing’s mission and vision apply to your professional and academic goals. You will also begin to identify individuals and teams who can help you along the way as you begin designing the “blueprint”—your Academic Success and Professional Development Plan—that will guide you toward your own vision for academic and professional success.

To Prepare:

• Review the Walden and College of Nursing mission and vision statements, Walden’s goals and University Outcomes, and the MSN Program Learning Outcomes presented in this Module’s Learning Resources.
• Reflect on your professional and academic goals as they relate to your program/specialization.
• Consider how the information in these resources fit with your own goals and to your becoming a scholar-practitioner.
• Also consider academic and professional individuals and teams with whom you may collaborate in support of your efforts as a student at the university and as a professional within your organization and career.

By Day 3 of Week 1

Post a brief introduction of yourself to your colleagues. Include an explanation as to how Walden’s vision, mission, goals, and social change initiatives relate to your professional and academic goals and to your becoming a scholar-practitioner. Also include an explanation for how the Walden MSN Program Outcomes and perspectives relate to your professional and academic goals and to your becoming a scholar-practitioner.

By Day 6 of Week 1

Respond to at least two of your colleagues’ posts by suggesting additional individuals and/or teams with whom you wish to collaborate or by offering additional networking strategies.

Main Discussion Post

As a nurse for seven years, I have found a passion in caring for the geriatric population. Our seniors are known to many as the greatest generation, and I love providing compassionate nursing care to them. This vulnerable population is our window to the past; they offer so much historical knowledge by which all of us can learn. The life expectancy of seniors has increased significantly in the last century. Promoting and facilitating appropriate health care in the geriatric population increases their independence and lessens the need for dependence on family members or a long-term health care setting (Friedman et al., 2019). My mission as a health professional is to facilitate enhanced health care; to lessen discomfort, disability, and other associated morbidity that emanates with increased age. Providing appropriate health care will allow our elders to continue to thrive and allow younger individuals to learn from the experiences and knowledge they can share; this will enhance the learning for all of us.

My decision to become a scholar-practitioner aligns with Walden University’s mission to effect positive social change. Enhancing healthy living in a vulnerable population, such as the geriatric population will contribute to positive social change. I envision positive social change with increased independent living for our elders, which lessons their burden on society (Walden University, 2020, Vision, Mission, and Goals section, para. 2). When any vulnerable population is cared for, it uplifts society as a whole.

Walden University’s MSN program aligns with my goal to become a Nurse Practitioner and to be a role model for other nurses to advance their careers. Walden offers an accredited program specializing in geriatric health care; therefore, enrolling in Walden’s MSN program is appropriate for advancing my professional goals. I want to specialize in, which is the field of geriatric health care.  I chose Walden’s MSN program for the vast resources offered, including Doctorally prepared professors and flexibility it provides for a balance of home and work life (Laureate Education, 2018). The interdisciplinary collaboration that will be part of this program is essential for my professional growth because one of my favorite mottos to live by is “none of us is as smart as all of us” (Laureate Education, 2018).

References

Friedman, S. M., Mulhausen, P., Cleveland, M. L., Coll, P. P., Daniel, K. M., Hayward, A. D., Shah, K., Skudlarska, B., & White, H. K. (2019). Healthy Aging: American Geriatrics Society White Paper Executive Summary. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 67(1), 17–20. https://doi.org/10.1111/jgs.15644

Laureate Education (Producer). (2018). The Walden Journey to a Masters in Nursing: The Journey Begins [Video file]. Baltimore, MD: Author.

Laureate Education (Producer). (2018). The Walden Journey to a Masters in Nursing: Networking and Collaboration [Video file]. Baltimore, MD: Author.

Walden University. (2020). Vision, mission, and goals. In 2019-2020 Walden University catalog. https://catalog.waldenu.edu/content.php?catoid=172&navoid=59420&hl=vision&returnto=search