Elisabeth Bailey, M.S. 鈥�07, RN, PMHCNS-BC, is convinced that nurse practitioners can help fill the increasing shortage of child and adolescent psychiatrists in the United States. Bailey is trained in both psychiatric and pediatric nursing and her interest is in 鈥渂ringing the two together,鈥� she says. 鈥淧rimary care providers treat most kids with psychiatric needs, and they鈥檒l often tell you they don鈥檛 feel prepared to manage these patients.鈥� Bailey, who expects to receive her D.N.P. in nursing practice from Northeastern University in 2015, is writing a doctoral dissertation on why nurse practitioners (especially in primary care) lack training to treat psychiatric conditions in young people, and ways to remedy the problem.
Bailey received her master鈥檚 in nursing from Boston College in 2007. She returns as a clinical instructor and teaches Advanced Practice Psychiatric Nursing across the Lifespan. Bailey most recently served as director of psychiatric services at the Manville School, a day school for children with emotional and behavioral problems that is part of the Judge Baker Children鈥檚 Center in Boston鈥檚 Mission Hill neighborhood. For her, seeing children overcome profound psychological challenges offers singular rewards. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a real privilege to be part of that process,鈥� she says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 very inspiring to see that kind of human resilience.鈥�
鈥擳imothy Gower, photograph by Caitlin Cunningham