Nursing receives grant to support Psych-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Program
The College of Nursing is now better equipped to address the mental health issues facing many North Dakotans. The College has recently been awarded a three-year grant, totaling nearly $760,000, from the Health Resources and Services Administration, a division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
The grant will fund the Advanced Psych-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (APMH-NP) program focusing in Adult and Family Nursing. “Typically only 20-30 grants of this nature are awarded nationwide. We are thrilled to have been selected,” said Chandice Covington, dean of nursing.
Nurses enrolled in the program will become educated professionals, able to provide care for culturally diverse populations in the rural and underserved areas of North Dakota, including American Indians. It is often the primary care provider who is the entry point for many individuals experiencing a mental health problem. However, it is estimated that 9.5 percent of people in the U.S. suffer from a depressive illness and 21 percent of children ages 9 to 17 are in need of mental health services annually.
The national shortage of registered nurses is well known, but that shortage extends beyond bed-side care and into advanced practice nursing as well. The UND Center for Rural Health has reported that 50 out of 54 counties in North Dakota are designated as shortage areas of APMH-NP providers.
Covington describes the grant as vital to the health of the state. “While North Dakota is a wonderful place to live and raise a family, the rural nature and rapidly aging population lead to more than our share of depression. The production of high quality mental health nursing professionals made possible through this grant will help to address critical mental health issues facing the state.”
If you are interested in finding out more about the APMH-NP Program at the UND College of Nursing, please contact Eleanor Yurkovich at 701-777-4554 or Jane Beasley at 701-777-4511.
-- Becky Cournia, Alumni & Development Coordinator, Nursing, beckycournia@mail.und.edu, 701-777-4526 |