FAQs
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What Is Integrative Psychiatry?
“Integrative psychiatry, drawing inspiration from integrative primary care, is a modern approach to mental health care that combines conventional psychiatric practices with the principles of integrative medicine. This approach takes a holistic view, addressing not just physical symptoms but also mental, emotional, and spiritual aspects of a person's well-being. Compared to traditional psychiatric approaches, integrative psychiatry embraces longer sessions, allowing for a deeper exploration of a patient's comprehensive health history and the development of more personal, trust-based relationships between the patient and provider. This contrasts with conventional psychiatry, which tends to focus more narrowly on symptom relief.
The guiding principles of integrative psychiatry, similar to those in the collaborative care model, include patient-centered care, team-based collaboration, measurement-based treatment, evidence-based care, and provider accountability for the quality of care and clinical outcomes.”
Rupa Health (2023)
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Are You Really A Doctor?
“The title of Doctor is common to many disciplines and is not the domain of any one health profession. Many APRNs currently hold doctoral degrees and are addressed as doctors, which is similar to how clinical psychologists, dentists, podiatrists, and other experts are addressed. Like other providers, DNPs are expected to display their credentials to ensure that patients understand their preparation as nursing providers.
Nursing and medicine are distinct health disciplines that prepare clinicians to assume different roles and meet different practice expectations. DNP programs will prepare nurses for the highest level of nursing practice.”
American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) (2023)
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Will Losing Weight Improve My Mental Health?
“Initial studies of GLP-1s showed how effective they were in treating obesity but more research has found promising results for many mental health issues too. (D. H. Kim et al. 2023 and Y. Liu et al. 2018)
Depression: Several studies have shown GLP-1s to improve depression symptoms in diabetics as well as non-diabetics.
Anxiety: Early correlations between reduced anxiety and stress levels have been noticed and more research is being done to examine this effect.
Eating Disorders: GLP-1s have shown good results for those recovering from binge eating disorder by stopping cravings and increasing feelings of fullness.
Alzheimer's: One study (Y. Li et al. 2022) looked at and noticed improved cognitive function, suggesting potential benefits for Alzheimer's patients.
Addictive behaviors: Studies found right away that these medications helped reduce food cravings but they have also helped people reduce binge drinking, smoking, and other addictive behaviors.”
Psychology Today (2023)
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Are Nurses Really The Most Trusted Profession?
“The American Nurses Association (ANA), the premier organization representing the nation’s more than 5 million nurses, congratulates nurses for ranking #1 in Gallup Poll’s annual Most Honest and Ethical Professions Poll for the 22nd consecutive year. The American public rated nurses the highest among a host of professionals, including medical doctors, engineers, and veterinarians.“
“This is an incredible accolade for our nation’s nurses,” said ANA President Jennifer Mensik Kennedy, PhD, MBA, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN. “Given the considerable hardship and obstacles the nurses we advocate for are facing, including unsafe work environments, severe burnout, and barriers to practice to name a few, this recognition is a true testament to the positive influence of nurses on their patients and their undeniable impact on the health care system. It’s a tremendous honor to receive this special validation from the very public these nurses serve. And it’s equally important for nurses to hear this acclaim as it raises the morale of our nurses – it couldn’t be more timely or appreciated. This is important.”
American Nurses Association (ANA) (2024)
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What Is A Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)?
“The DNP is designed for nurses seeking a terminal degree in nursing practice and offers an alternative to research-focused doctoral programs. DNP-prepared nurses are well-equipped to fully implement the science developed by nurse researchers prepared in PhD and other research-focused nursing doctorates.
DNP curricula expands learning essential to preparing expert clinicians and nurse leaders, including coursework focused on evidence-based practice, quality improvement, leadership, policy advocacy, informatics, and systems thinking.”
American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) (2023)
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What Is A Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP)?
“Psychiatric NPs are advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs). APRN is the umbrella term for board-certified nurses who have a master's or doctoral degree in nursing. APRNs specializing in psychiatric nursing are also called psychiatric mental health nurse practitioners (PMHNPs).
PMHNPs' main goal is to assess, diagnose, and treat patients with mental health disorders while maintaining a safe and confidential environment for their patients. PMHNPs can provide counseling and psychotherapy as well. With a national shortage of mental health professionals, PMHNPs are in a position to fill this gap and increase access to patients.
PMHNPs' scope of practice can vary among states. They can have full practice, reduced practice, or restricted practice. The type of practice dictates their level of prescriptive authority. Some PMHNPs can work autonomously after working under a collaborating physician for a certain amount of time, depending on the state. PMHNPs can also prescribe medication based on state regulations.”
Nurse Journal (2023)
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What Is Nursing?
“Nursing can be described as both an art and a science; a heart and a mind. At its heart, lies a fundamental respect for human dignity and an intuition for a patient’s needs. This is supported by the mind, in the form of rigorous core learning. Due to the vast range of specialisms and complex skills in the nursing profession, each nurse will have specific strengths, passions, and expertise.
However, nursing has a unifying ethos: In assessing a patient, nurses do not just consider test results. Through the critical thinking exemplified in the nursing process (see below), nurses use their judgment to integrate objective data with subjective experience of a patient’s biological, physical and behavioral needs. This ensures that every patient, from city hospital to community health center; state prison to summer camp, receives the best possible care regardless of who they are, or where they may be.”
American Nurses Association (ANA) (2024)