MEET TIM WAND
Credentialed Mental Health Nurse, Member of the College of Mental Health Nurses, and Nurse Practitioner

Mental health nursing is a fantastic career and for me, the credentialing program is of great importance to the profession and the community. The public deserves well informed and professionally competent mental health nurses and credentialing is a positive step towards ensuring a high standard of practice. I also firmly believe that nurses are accountable for their practice and therefore credentialing encourages individual responsibility for ongoing professional development and clinical supervision.
 
I have been working as a Nurse Practitioner since 2004 in the Emergency Department at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in Sydney. I had to undergo a rigorous process to become a Nurse Practitioner, however I also wanted formal recognition for my experience and qualifications from my peers, fellow mental health nurses. The College’s Credential for Practice Program made this achievable.
 
I think the credentialing initiative is a very constructive method for promoting and developing mental health nurses individually and as a specialised group of health professionals. I anticipate that in the not too distant future prospective employers will begin to include 'credentialed mental health nurse' as a component of position descriptions.

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