After three years, the first class of nursing students at the University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Nursing will graduate from a unique, new master’s degree in nursing. The degree is one that enables the nurses to address mental health issues, as well as physical health issues of their patients.
Though it’s a small group, the hope is as more students graduate, the more impact they will have on solving mental health issues in Nebraska. The first five students graduating May 6 are: Mary Scherling of Beatrice, Debbie Hughes and Kathy Havlicek-Cook of Lincoln, and Kimberly Camp and Lyndsay Mattke of Omaha.
The specialty was established in 2003, when the college received a $750,000 federal grant to launch the degree that prepares nursing students as family nurse practitioners and advanced practice psychiatric/mental health nurses. The U.S. Health and Human Services Bureau of Health Professions Division of Nursing funded the grant.
Advance practice nurses are those with master’s degrees and advanced clinical experience who diagnose, treat and manage illness, including nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, nurse midwives, nurse anesthetists and other specialties. Some also prescribe medication.
“These advanced practice nurses are educated and skilled with dealing with both physical and mental health issues. They are clearly able to address both perspectives,” said Kate Fiandt, D.N.S., UNMC College of Nursing associate professor of nursing and project director of the grant. “We know today more and more that chronic illness are often accompanied by depression. The science is becoming increasing clear that if we can treat the depression, that the physical health will improve.”
As part of the three-year program, students performed almost 1,000 hours of clinical practice.
Dr. Fiandt said the specialty strives to fill the gap of Nebraska’s health professional shortages, especially those who cannot easily access mental health services, including those in rural areas and the urban underserved.
“This practitioner will be a valuable resource in Nebraska where 75 percent of rural counties are federally designated mental health professional shortage areas and 36 percent of rural counties are federally designated primary care health professional shortage areas,” Dr. Fiandt said. “Though there are some dual-certified advanced practice nurses with this specialty, this may be the first one in the country that prepares the nurse for certification in both areas at the same time. The state very badly needs people skilled in both.”
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