By Caleb Wheeler | Staff Writer
The School of Nursing’s new psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner track is an online program with a 100% pass rate. The pass rate is accompanied by Baylor’s ranking in the top 12% of doctor of nursing practice programs in Texas.
Nicole Walters, instructor at the School of Nursing, said the COVID-19 pandemic caused a “domino effect” of mental health issues, creating a great need for mental health providers.
“There are not enough mental health providers currently in the field,” Walters said. “We are working to bridge that gap of need for patients.”
The program is bringing in its first cohort this fall. Walters said its online nature allows them to remain in the field.
“Nurses can’t really take downtime,” Walters said. “When they do take time off to get further education, it just adds to the deficit of nurses. An online program allows nurses to keep learning and training without taking them out of the field.”
Walters said substance abuse has increased since the pandemic, and one in five Americans lives with mental illness.
“Decreased access to mental services and the pressure of life getting back to normal after [COVID-19] has led to an increase in depression and anxiety disorders,” Melissa Neathery, professor in the School of Nursing, said.
In particular, reports from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that teens are facing increased levels of “sadness and violence,” with teen girls’ feelings of sadness and hopelessness increasing from roughly one-third to over 50%.
“It is negative that we are identifying more mental illnesses in people, but we’re developing an increasing awareness of need, and as people become aware, we can treat the prevalence,” Neathery said.
Neathery said training and placing nurse practitioners will help address the issue.
“The more practitioners there are who can reach people — like nurse practitioners who can work in more exclusive areas like schools and private practices — the more people you can reach,” Neathery said.
Walters said students on the nurse practitioner track will get significant real-world experience. The program comes with in-field training and hours of simulations before working with patients.
“Diagnosing, managing and treating will all be done by the student,” Walters said. “If a student is with a patient, there will always be an adviser or supervisor present.”
