DNP Student Selected as American Psychiatric Nurses Association Board of Directors Student Scholar
DNP student Sooksai Kaewbua, BSN, is one of 15 graduate nursing students in the nation to be selected as an American Psychiatric Nurses Association (APNA) Board of Directors Student Scholar for 2016. She will present her abstract titled “Healthy Heart, Healthy Brain: An Innovative Game to Improve Mental Health by Preventing Cardiovascular Disease” at the APNA 30th Annual Conference in October in Hartford, Ct. in addition to receiving a complimentary membership in the organization for one year.
Scholars must be a full-time or part-time graduate student enrolled in an accredited nursing program leading to a Master’s or Doctoral degree in nursing with an emphasis on psychiatric-mental health (PMH) nursing. Kaewbua was nominated by Assistant Professor Chizimuzo Okoli, PhD, MPH, MSN, RN, who was impressed with Kaewbua’s hard work and passion for PMH nursing.
“Being accepted as an APNA Board of Directors student scholar is a competitive process,” says Dr. Okoli. “We are very proud of her achievement and excited for the opportunities this scholarship will open in her career. Sooksai is a promising nurse clinician, scholar and leader and a wonderful ambassador for the UK College of Nursing.”
Kaewbua will present a board game she recently developed that serves as a teaching method for Eastern State Hospital (ESH) patients who suffer from psychiatric conditions such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. According to the National Institute for Mental Health, mental health disorders often co-occur with heart disease in older patients. With the goal of preventing cardiovascular events, Kaewbua's game educates the high-risk population of geriatric patients on heart-healthy diets.
Kaewbua currently works as a clinical instructor for the psychiatric-mental health (PMH) nursing course, NUR 401. She received her BSN from Murray State University in 2010 and has been working in PMH nursing settings for 3 years. Kaewbua is expected to graduate from the DNP PMH track in spring 2017.
APNA was founded in 1986 and has grown to be the largest professional membership organization committed to the specialty practice of PMH nursing and wellness promotion, prevention of mental health problems, and the care and treatment of persons with psychiatric disorders.
For more information on APNA, click here.
