Editor: Almost every time I pick up a newspaper, magazine or watch programs on TV there are countless references to the lack of access to mental health Services and shortage of mental health providers in Colorado and nationwide.
Right now I am witnessing the irony of this very important observation. I know someone who is committed to be part of the solution by studying to be a psychiatric nurse practitioner.
A psychiatric nurse practitioner is board certified to provide mental health services to individuals and families in a variety of settings to include therapy and medication management. In some states, they can practice independently, most are part of a behavioral health team headed by a psychiatrist MD.
There are surprising barriers to obtaining the number of quality clinical hours required for graduation. Some learning institutions have preceptorship agreements with clinics, hospitals and private practitioners but many others do not. Students are on their own after investing a great deal of time and money.
One major barrier is finding a preceptor specifically for behavioral health. Other specialties don’t seem to have as many issues. A preceptor is a teacher/coach who is licensed and experienced in the applicable specialized field of study. They supervise and assign learning opportunities to the student as they gain experience through hands on practice. Typically, the student is already a registered nurse who has chosen to pursue a master’s degree specializing in their field of interest. This particular student is a registered nurse who works in a behavioral health care facility at a local hospital.
First, they reached out to the Colorado Community Health Network, the primary health care safety net in Colorado. In many instances, there were no preceptor programs set up in their behavioral health departments. It was baffling, considering there is a critical shortage of mental health providers and very few individuals that want to enter this field. A well–trained student could alleviate some of that, by performing basic functions such as initial intake and free up the provider for more advanced functions.
That same student could be an asset to seek employment at the facility upon graduation.
Ultimately, they resorted to paying a hefty fee to an agency to find a preceptor who also must be paid.
The agency did find one, in Nebraska. So in addition, there will be expenses for transportation, hotel and meals. It doesn’t make sense. Some students don’t graduate on time because they have not completed their required clinical hours and others change their minds and decide to pursue other specialties that are more supported. That is a future resource loss.
In a way, it is understandable. Bureaucracy, red tape, lack of information, lack of interest, lack of support and the amount of paperwork involved for preceptors and facilities qualified to host a student are a huge factor.
These are issues that can and should be remedied so we can keep our valuable mental health resources in our state.
—Denise Lopez-Rodriguez, via letters@sentinelcolorado.com