In an opinion piece recently published in the Milwaukee Wisconsin Journal Sentinel, the deans of four Milwaukee nursing schools discuss how Milwaukee’s healthcare system has moved from hospital-focused to community-based and therefore the educational needs of the nursing workforce has also changed. As a result, Nursing’s Voice Milwaukee was created. Nursing’s Voice unites a broad coalition of funders, educators and employers who believe nurses bring a holistic approach to care with science, interpersonal skills and compassion that can support people with mental illness in community-based recovery. As a result of Nursing’s Voice efforts, four Milwaukee nursing schools have added mental health training to the curriculum:
- Alverno College’s School of Nursing has launched a program to educate advanced practice registered nurses as psychiatric mental health nurse practitioners.
- Marquette University’s College of Nursing has redesigned its undergraduate program to include basic mental health concepts and screening techniques early in the curriculum and to incorporate mental health experiences in four subsequent clinical courses.
- Cardinal Stritch University’s College of Nursing has added a pre-licensure bachelor of science in nursing that integrates a mental health focus into the curriculum, with key mental health concepts and practical application integrated into seven courses.
- University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee College of Nursing has redesigned the undergraduate program to have increased emphasis on mental health concepts and clinical interventions.
More information can be found here.