NR 548 Week 1 Reflection on Learning..

Week 1 Reflection on Learning In this week’s modules and textbook reading, I learned about a variety of concepts including the PMHNP scope of practice. This includes the provision of both psychotherapy and psychopharmacological interventions. I have always been fascinated by psychotherapy and the numerous approaches that one can take. There is individual therapy, couples therapy, family therapy, and group therapy. Within those there are various types of therapy approaches including psychodynamic psychotherapy, interpersonal psychotherapy, DBT, CBT, ACT, humanistic, and experiential therapy. There are also creative approaches to therapy like dance/movement, art, animal-assisted and music therapies, as well as specialized techniques like EMDR and hypnotherapy. Psychotherapy in particular provides patients with a variety of coping strategies and skills they can utilize to manage their symptoms on a day-to-day basis, as well as in times of crisis. Psychotherapy also allows the patient an opportunity to verbally express their thoughts, emotions, and behaviors with a professional who can help them navigate their next steps. I am also intrigued by the use of psychotropic drugs for mental illness. I do not believe there is a “one size fits all” approach that could (or should) be taken for patients with psychiatric diagnoses. Instead, I think by gathering information from your patients you can get an idea of what will work best for them and therefore, which modality to begin with. If a patient presents with symptoms consistent with major depressive disorder and I immediately prescribe then an antidepressant, they may very well experience some relief in their symptoms. However, what will that patient do when faced with a difficult life situation? How will they cope with an exacerbation of symptoms? Similarly, if I only provide psychotherapy to that patient, while they will have skills to manage their symptoms, the underlying issue of too little serotonin may still be working against them. With that said, I think both modalities have a time and a place. In my practice as an NP, I want to take a more holistic approach, addressing lifestyle factors like sleep, diet, exercise, and social support, as well as initiating psychotherapy prior to prescribing medications. This is particularly the case in adolescents and patients of all ages with certain diagnoses such as eating disorders, substance abuse, and personality disorders. Of course, there will always be exceptions to that! I feel we as a society have turned away from the healing benefits of healthy lifestyles and instead rely too heavily on medications for instant relief. From my experience, there is longer lasting and better-quality recovery in patients who take all of these factors into account.