An Innovative Approach for Graduate Education for Psychiatric Nurse Practitioners.

A major transformation in nurse practitioner (NP) education is the emergence of post graduate residencies; their foci include (a) educating NPs in population health; (b) increasing clinical proficiency; and (c) incorporating quality and safety into practice. We describe a psychiatric NP residency program supported by an academic-practice partnership, known as the Veterans Affairs Nursing Academic Partnership for Graduate Education (VANAP-GE) between the Birmingham Veterans Administration Medical Center (BVAMC) and the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) School of Nursing (SON) for a population of Veterans with complex mental and physical health needs. Topics which are covered include risks of suicide among Veterans, post-traumatic stress disorder, depressive and anxiety disorders, and substance use disorders. During this one-year traineeship during the first year after NP certification, residents engage in development of crucial skills for improving the future of U.S. health care. All residents are newly licensed PMHNPs, but some are also pursuing DNP degrees. For residents who are simultaneously enrolled in BSN to DNP programs, the additional clinical training afforded by NP residency education provides a natural laboratory for their projects with foci of quality and safety, leadership, and clinical scholarship. Reduction in NP turnover as well as cost savings of orientation and recruitment are significant benefits for the practice partner with zero vacancies since the partnership's inception. These multiple successes predict increased establishment of residencies as viable post graduate pathways for NPs.

Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner Residents Improve Quality and Mental Health Outcomes for Veterans Through Measurement-Based Care.

INTRODUCTION: Measurement-based care (MBC) is commonly used to manage medical illness, whereas only about 20% of psychiatric care providers use MBC. One aim of the partnership between the Birmingham Veterans Affairs Medical Center (BVAMC) and the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Nursing (UAB SON) is to provide MBC to Veterans. The goal is to describe the efficacy of MBC in the treatment of Veterans by psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner (PMHNP) residents. PURPOSE: By teaching PMHNP residents evidence-based assessment, they gain tools to shorten time to remission of depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress disorder. METHODS: Residents administered the Patient Stress Questionnaire (PSQ), an MBC tool that assesses depression, anxiety, trauma-related symptoms, and alcohol use, to patients of the Residency Continuity Clinic (RCC). Patient Stress Questionnaire scores from March 2016 to May 2018 were analyzed using paired t tests. RESULTS: Analysis revealed a downward trend in PSQ scores over time, suggesting improvement in psychiatric symptoms. Depressive and anxiety symptoms decreased significantly. CONCLUSIONS/IMPLICATIONS: This quality project highlights the utility of MBC by PMHNP residents in an RCC. Measurement-based care tools can be quickly and easily administered with little impact on workflow. Use of validated screening tools can enhance care, engage patients, and improve patient outcomes.

Transforming veterans health care through academic-practice partnerships.

The Veterans Health Affairs Office of Academic Affiliations (OAA) has invested in the creation of academic-practice partnerships to transform the care of veterans and their families. This article details how a long-standing relationship between the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Nursing and the Birmingham Veterans Affairs Medical Center grew into such a partnership. The three programs that now exist within the Birmingham Veterans Affairs Nursing Academic Partnership (VANAP) umbrella are described, including an undergraduate VA nurse scholars program that has sustained beyond OAA funding, a VANAP graduate education program for psychiatric mental health nurse practitioners (NPs), and a Mental Health NP Residency. Key features of the programs are noted as are outcomes and lessons learned for building mutual goals and a sustainable academic-practice partnership. With the recent passage of the Veterans Choice Program, the importance of educating all nurses about veterans and veterans' health is stressed.

Caring for America's Veterans: The Power of Academic-Practice Partnership.

Veterans receive care across the entire health system. Therefore, the workforce needs knowledge and awareness of whether patients are Veterans and the impact of their military service on their physical and mental health. Recent reports of limitations in access for Veterans seeking health care have highlighted this need across all health care settings. Academic-practice partnerships are one mechanism to align the need for improved health care services within the Veteran population while advancing nursing practice in the Veterans Health Administration and surrounding communities. The key to strong partnerships and sustained collaboration is shared goals, mutual trust and respect, the development of formal relationships, and support of senior leadership that fosters the joint vision and mission to improve nursing care for Veterans. This article describes the evolving partnership between one Veterans Health Administration Medical Center and a School of Nursing, which aligned strategic goals across both organizations to increase the capacity and capability of services provided to Veterans.