DNP PMHNP, US South, African American

Empowering African American mental health: A DNP PMHNP from the US South symbolically connects with her roots and professional dedication through vibrant imagery.

The University of ____ is close to home in ____, __, and it is ranked number 3 among DNP Programs in Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing in the United States. Most of all, however, I feel strongly that I want to earn my DNP Degree in my part of the country, the Carolinas, because, at the same time that I learn to think globally and creatively in your program, I want to research the local level, investigating nursing issues in the context of the challenges that we face here in ____ County North Carolina, particularly in the black community. Furthermore, the University of ____ offers courses online that will enable me to give my all as a student while I continue to fulfill my duties as a nurse.

I look forward to researching and writing about public health problems and nursing issues in the context of my part of the country., ____ County, North Carolina, has always been my home and will always be my permanent address. I love my region of the country very much despite the many challenges present in health care, especially when one looks specifically at the African American community. Being a member of the African American community is of fundamental importance to how and why I feel called to serve as a DNP professional. It is essential for black nurses to assume increasing responsibility in nursing to serve as role models in the African American community.

A healthcare professional in scrubs and a face mask holds a globe featuring the South African flag, set against a backdrop of the American flag, symbolizing global medical collaboration and innovation.

Since I graduated from HS, I have worked as a full-time Nurse’s Assistant at ____s Family Home Care, an assisted living facility. My patients, mostly African Americans with chronic mental health and substance abuse issues, sustain my daily joy and have been the focus of my undergraduate nursing studies. I am a nurturer by nature, and I could not love my calling more, helping patients to overcome addiction, get clean, stay clean, and comply with the law so that they do not just repeat the cycle. I have already helped many young men stay out of jail or avoid returning there. I have no way of knowing for sure, but I like to try and calculate how much jail time the intense efforts I have made over the years have resulted in avoiding jail sentences, often quite lengthy.

If accepted into your competitive program at U__ and awarded the opportunity to give my all to your schedule, I hope to help hundreds, if not thousands more, avoid jail time. I already have several important success stories to brag about. One patient I worked with thought marijuana and street drugs were meant to correct his mental health issues. Once he had progressed in therapy and stayed faithful to his regime of antipsychotic medication, he saw that there was much more to life than getting stoned. He is now leading discussion groups with other addicts struggling to stay clean.

African American DNP PMHNP highlighting international medical ties with face painted in South African flag colors, set against a backdrop of healthcare tools and the American flag, symbolizing dedication, and cross-cultural expertise in mental health practice.

I want to advocate for my patients primarily and contribute to progressive changes in both policy and attitude that will help avoid disgraceful instances of injustice and mistreatment that are often racist. In one recent case in New York, in September of 2015, Kamilah Brock, a young Black woman driving a BMW in Harlem, was forcefully committed against her will for being Black and driving her car where she lived. This makes me feel like I am needed as an African American DNP in America.

Thank you for considering my application to UX.

The Black Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner