New Year’s ‘Solutions
Psychiatric-mental health nurses are experts at innovating and collaborating — advocating for improved access to care, discovering effective therapeutic treatments, and creating environments of safety and trust. We use both the latest science and the art of our profession to inform our interventions, making the care we give personal and meaningful.
There is a tremendous need for us to apply the art and science of nursing to our most pressing concerns in innovative ways.
We psychiatric-mental health nurses are equipped to problem-solve. But we can also extend our impact by sharing insights from our work with each other.
Have you felt the effects of these trends below? Perhaps you recognize yourself in these solutions.
- With only about half those experiencing mental illness seeking treatment, you found success reducing barriers to care like stigma or geography.
- During a shortage of mental health professionals, you incorporated technology like digital mental health to reach more individuals.
- Considering the high rate of nurse burnout, you led organizational change to foster a culture of well-being.
Hearing about real-world nurse innovations like these strengthens our collective know-how and increases our ability to serve. I’m certain that each one of us possesses practical information that could benefit other nurses. The APNA 39th Annual Conference Call for Abstracts gives you the opportunity to send your story to be considered for presentation to a national audience. Imagine unlocking new solutions for the greater psychiatric-mental health nursing community and making it possible to improve the lives of so many!
I send my very best wishes for the new year ahead — and most of all, I look forward to collaborating with each other in finding new ways to apply the art and science of nursing for care excellence.
>>> Learn all about the APNA 39th Annual Conference
>>> Discover tips for constructing your abstract: Abstract Toolkit
Joyce Shea, DNSc, APRN, PMHCNS-BC, FAAN
President
American Psychiatric Nurses Association
Published January 2025
