As an allied health professional, you have to wear many hats. The patients you help come from various life experiences and are dealing with completely different situations, so it's important to have a broad understanding of their health situation.
Our newest Continuing Education (CE) content series features trending topics that are affecting almost every healthcare facility — mental health, infertility, wound care and bone health.
- Infertility
Did you know that between 5 and 15% of women in the United States struggle to get pregnant? In fact, the World Health Organization named infertility in women as the 5th highest serious global disability. Read this article to find out about the various types of infertility, identify common causes of infertility, learn symptoms associated with infertility, as well as medications and other treatments that are most effective for treating infertility.
- Wound Care Treatment and Management Guidelines
Wound care is a multi-billion dollar industry and advanced wound care is one of the fastest-growing segments in US health care. This article will describe the components of effective wound care, differentiate types of wounds, explain the various stages of wounds and wound healing, list factors that delay wound healing and list essential principles of wound healing.
- The Skeletal System
Taking active steps to improve and sustain bone health will help to improve the patients’ quality of life well into late adulthood. This article will include a review of the skeleton, go through the phases of bone development, discuss different types of bone fractures and diseases, and discuss how to keep bones healthy.
- Mental Health: Bridging the Gap
This article illustrates the growing need for mental health care, investigates the gaps in providing services, and explores the use of behavioral health integration as a creative way to meet clients’ needs and deliver care in a cost effective manner.
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About the Authors
As an NHA certified healthcare professional, you have access to this valuable content authored by two leading subject matter experts in the healthcare community. Learn more about our authors, and the insights they are sharing with the NHA community, below.
![photo Deb Johnson Schuh[1][1]](https://info.nhanow.com/hs-fs/hubfs/photo%20Deb%20Johnson%20Schuh%5B1%5D%5B1%5D.jpg?width=205&name=photo%20Deb%20Johnson%20Schuh%5B1%5D%5B1%5D.jpg) |
| Deb Johnson-Schuh, RN, MSN, CNE |
Deb Johnson-Schuh, RN, MSN, CNE
Although Deb didn’t start her nursing career working in psychiatry, she quickly realized she didn’t have to work in psychiatry to provide care for clients with mental illnesses. Her nursing experiences include working as a correctional nurse and later as a behavior health nurse for patients suffering from schizophrenia. In her current role as a nursing instructor, she lectures on mental health nursing and shares her nursing experiences, the importance of ongoing care and management of mental illnesses, and the barriers to receiving adequate care.
Sherry Ann Beckman, MBA, MSN, ANP-BC
Sherry is a nurse practitioner who currently works for Optum where she is responsible for the assessment and evaluation of residents in long-term care and rehabilitation. She has been in the nursing industry for over 30 years and has worked in a variety of healthcare settings. Sherry currently holds a Master’s of Science Nursing, ANP and will receive a Doctorate in Nursing Practice later this year.
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Q&A with Deb Johnson-Schuh
We had the unique opportunity to ask Deb a few questions about her CE article. Her responses provide additional insights that can help you understand her perspective and experience.
What do you hope certification holders will gain from your article?
I hope readers see the importance of promoting early identification and intervention of mental illness. Despite the growing prevalence of mental illnesses in the United States, many people are not receiving the help they need. New ways of thinking and comprehensive solutions are needed to meet the needs of the clients. Integrating behavioral healthcare with primary care is one effective strategy in filling the gap.
What do you like best about working in the mental health industry?
Healthcare providers are in a unique position to make significant impacts on mental health promotion and mental illness prevention. Saving lives doesn’t only happen in the Emergency Room.
In general, what are some of the biggest obstacles that clients with mental illness face in today’s society?
There are several obstacles clients must overcome. One of the biggest obstacles is stigma, both public stigma and self-stigma. Stigma associated with mental illness prevents people from accessing treatment. Our society has a lot of misconceptions about mental illness. Mental illness isn’t a choice. Mental illness isn’t something people can simply snap out of. An accurate understanding about mental illness is necessary to eliminate stigma and promote advocacy for clients with mental illness.
What types of resources are available for clients that struggle with mental illness?
There are a lot of local community resources clients and families can reach out to. Other resources include:
- National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) 1-800-950-NAMI
- National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255 (TALK)
- Veterans’ Crisis Hotline: 1-800-273-8255
Always have an accurate understanding of mental illnesses. This knowledge will help prevent holding harmful misconceptions.
Always see the patient and not the mental illness.
Be kind and supportive in all of your interactions.
What is the best career advice you ever received?
Make every patient feel like he/she is your only patient.
There's no better source of learning than from the individuals who are actively working — and leading — the industry today. We're grateful to be able to partner with respected experts like Sherry and Deb to bring valuable content to the NHA community through our CE series.