Diverse Geriatric Workforce Education History, Needs, and Opportunities: Focus on Psychiatric Advanced Practice Nurses

Abstract

Primary TopicAdvanced Practice Nursing History and Current State of Education Update Secondary TopicExploration of opportunities for filling educational gaps for subspecialty geriatric psychiatry training in Diverse WorkforceThis symposium is sponsored by the AAGP IDEA Committee.Advanced practice nurses are continuing to grow as partners of care for the geriatric psychiatry patient population. With increasing specialty workplace shortages across acute, ambulatory, and long-term care settings and growing numbers of geriatric psychiatrists retiring and less coming into the field, there is need to increase interprofessional collaboration with advanced practice nurses. The variety of advanced practice nurses practicing in the field has led to understandable confusion surrounding educational standards and experience from physician colleagues.Advanced nursing education has evolved over decades adapting to the needs of the ever-changing healthcare system and patient needs. Advanced practice nurses came in existence to assist in providing care to the underserved and often rural populations that struggled to maintain physician employment. The first advanced practice nurse specializing in the field of psychiatry was the certified nurse specialist. This role originally encompassed a larger focus on psychotherapy. Over decades and changes in healthcare, there was a larger call for psychiatric prescribers due to psychiatrist shortage, leading to the development of the psychiatric nurse practitioner role. Psychiatric nurse practitioners are board certified to provide psychiatric healthcare across the lifespan but are considered generalists until provided experience and training in specialty areas. Psychiatric nurse practitioners specializing in geriatric psychiatry do not currently have any additional academic institution driven training, but become specialists through mentorship from geriatric psychiatrists, nurse practitioners, or physician assistants within depth knowledge in geriatric mental healthcare. They also engage with continuing medical education, professional organization involvement, and gain clinical experience at bedside and in advanced practice nursing. Some advanced practice psychiatric nurses come into geriatric psychiatry practice from a calling and passion for this population, while others find their career gravitates towards this population as a response to a call from the community in need of care. There is desire and need for increased standardized educational opportunities for advanced practice nurses who are passionate about caring for the mental health needs of older people, and a hope that geriatric psychiatrists may offer assistance and guidance with the interprofessional united goal to improve access to quality care to our geriatric patients.