Why I presented at the APNA Annual Conference
November 2022
Brenda Mayfield, MSN, CRNP, PMHNP-BC, presented Veterans, Psychedelics, and PTSD: Healing the Wounds of Service at the APNA 36th Annual Conference in October 2022. The session presented at the APNA Annual Conference explored the daily experiences of veterans with PTSD and the hope that psychedelics are a viable option for the treatment of PTSD.
What did you find most rewarding about presenting at the APNA 36th Annual Conference?
Being around people that care for and support each other. We have not been in the physical presence of each other since 2019.
Why did you choose to present at the conference?
I am relentlessly passionate about shining a spotlight on helping those who serve others. Our helping professionals (veterans, nurses, firefighters, police officers, and EMS personnel) need our knowledge, our time, and our talents to manage the stressors they experience from simply doing the jobs they love and serving their communities.
PMH nurses can use information from our presentation as an example of the importance of staying up to date on treatments
What did you feature in your presentation & how did you decide on this topic?
I presented Veterans, Psychedelics, and PTSD: Healing the Wounds of Service. The presentation walks the audience through the struggle that veterans with PTSD experience daily and the hope that psychedelics are demonstrated in phase III clinical trials as a viable option for the treatment of PTSD. In the presentation MDMA was the chosen psychedelic and information included mechanisms of action, safety profile, description of practice protocol, efficacy, comparison to current FDA-approved treatments, and future implications for practice.
How can other PMH nurses implement information from your presentation in their own work?
PMH nurses can use information from our presentation as an example of the importance of staying up to date on treatments that are being researched and showing promise as viable and efficacious options for veterans and those suffering from PTSD.
Recordings of this and the other sessions presented at the APNA Annual Conference will soon be available in the APNA eLearning Center. Attendees will have access to these on-demand sessions and materials for up to a year.
>>> Considering your own presentation at the APNA 37th Annual Conference at Disney Coronado Springs Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Florida on October 4-7? The Call for Abstracts is open now through March 6!
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.
