My Nurse Luminary and Her Compassionate Care
In this installment of Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Luminaries, Mehelle Plesse, PhD, PMHNP-BC, Psychiatric CNS-BC shares how her nurse luminary embodies the spirit of PMH nursing and compassionate care.
My PMH Nurse Luminary is…
Shari Harding, DNP, PMHNP-BC, CPRP
My PMH Nurse Luminary demonstrates wisdom and/or vision in…
Dr. Harding demonstrates a visionary nature through a consistent investment in practice improvement and educational delivery. She provides behavioral health services within an integrated primary care model and has pioneered several QI initiatives like improving LGBTQ+ mental health care through an enhanced inclusion approach, addressing inclusivity needs, and developing new care delivery tools such as electronic psychopharm consultation and antidepressant selection support tools for primary care. Dr. Harding’s innovation also extends to her teaching. She has developed courses for the hybrid psych DNP program and designed a highly effective simulation therapy case focused on the practice of motivational interviewing.
My PMH Nurse Luminary embodies the spirit of psychiatric-mental health nursing.
PMH nursing involves providing care and treatment of one of the most vulnerable patient populations in healthcare and Dr Harding’s commitment to this mission is evident in her practice. She embodies this same spirit in her scholarly work which includes the intersection of physical and mental health and the empowering concept of Supported Decision Making (SDM). As a Certified Psychiatric Rehabilitation Practitioner, Dr. Harding has provided training to individuals with mental illness, peer support workers, direct care staff, and clinicians in SDM. Additionally, her doctoral work demonstrates her commitment to empowerment as she focuses on interventions to combat self-stigma.
Dr. Shari Harding exemplifies the core values and skills of the PMH nurse across all her interpersonal engagements. As I observe her work and her relational engagement, I am motivated to continue to improve my own interpersonal skills.
The PMH nurses who would most benefit from my PMH Nurse Luminary’s wisdom are…
Dr. Harding’s practice involves partnering closely with non-psychiatric specialists and educating the primary care practitioner on mental health concerns. This role demands expertise in interpersonal engagement and interprofessional collaboration, skills that all PMH nurses, especially new graduates, could benefit from learning about more.
Published July 2024
>> Inspired to share about your PMH Nurse Luminary? Start here.
About APNA: The American Psychiatric Nurses Association is a national professional membership organization committed to the practice of psychiatric-mental health nursing and wellness promotion, prevention of mental health problems, and the care and treatment of persons with psychiatric disorders. APNA’s membership is inclusive of all psychiatric-mental health registered nurses including associate degree, baccalaureate, advanced practice (comprised of clinical nurse specialists and psychiatric nurse practitioners), and nurse scientists and academicians (PhD). APNA serves as a resource for psychiatric-mental health nurses to engage in networking, education, and the dissemination of evidence. The American Psychiatric Nurses Association is accredited as a provider of continuing nursing professional development by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation.
