Dual-Track Education for Nurse Practitioners: Current and Future Directions

Evaluating the Practice of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners: Is It Time for Dual Primary and Acute Care Preparation?

“…This potential misalignment of educational preparation, certification, and population-focused competencies was particularly evident in the number of acute care PNPs who provided well-child/preventive health care maintenance and diagnosis and longitudinal management of common mental/behavioral health conditions. The diagnosis and management of mental/behavioral health concerns are particularly timely, as the severe acute respiratory coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic has brought to the forefront the tremendous need for evaluation, diagnosis, and management of these conditions in a variety of settings (Hill et al, 2021;Wesemann, Dirks, & Van Cleve, 2021). This need will likely continue because of the toll the pandemic has taken on the mental health of children or as the potential neurological impact SARS-CoV-2 infection has on the development or worsening of psychiatric conditions (Orsini et al, 2020).…”

The role of the dually certified primary care/psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner in treating high-needs/high-cost patients

“…This article contributes to understanding the role of the PC/PMHNP. Very little has been written on this role (Conley & Judge-Ellis, 2020;Wesemann et al, 2021), and thus, we set forth this case exemplar to illustrate how a nurse can facilitate cost savings, patient and provider satisfaction (Institute of Medicine, 2001), and effective care with good outcomes for high-needs/high-cost patients (Long et al, 2017). Case exemplars, such as the one highlighted in this article, are a beginning step in making the case for the value of PC/PMHNPs in underserved community settings.…”

“…Increased numbers of primary care nurse practitioners are returning for postgraduate education and board certification as psychiatric mental health nurse practitioners. At the same time, graduate nurse practitioner programs have begun offering plans of study in primary care and psychiatric mental health for those nurses wanting to exit their graduate studies prepared to sit for both certifications (Conley & Judge-Ellis, 2020;Kverno & Frosch, 2022, Wesemann, et al, 2021. Concurrent to this educational and work force trend is a clear need for an increase in the mental health work force (Reinert et al, 2021).…”

“…There are limited resources addressing the role of the dually certified PC/PMHNP. The few articles in this area are diverse in their focus, from specific program development (Hulme, et al, 2015) to integrated models of care (Conley & Judge-Ellis, 2020), educational programs (Wesemann, et al, 2021), and accelerated online programs (Kverno & Frosch, 2022). None have attempted to describe or illustrate the role of the dually certified nurse practitioner or to embed it in ongoing health care reform.…”

Exploring the Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Children and Families Cared for by Pediatric-Focused Advanced Practice Registered Nurses

“…Systemic practice changes can be implemented to support P-APRNs to provide mental health care and support the growing need for integration (Foy et al, 2019). Now, maybe more than ever, there is tremendous opportunity for the dual preparation of Pediatric and Family Nurse Practitioners (PNPs and FNPs) in Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner programs (Wesemann et al, 2021). PNPs and FNPs may also pursue added certification as Pediatric Mental Health Specialists to influence system-level changes that support expanded access to care.…”