Jamie Sorenson, PMHNP-BC, PMHCNS-BC, APRN, USN (ret)
Focus On… is a Q&A style interview that highlights a member, a conversation with an authoritative expert, spotlights an innovative program, or profiles a trend. If you have a suggestion for a person or topic we should consider as a future Focus On… subject, please email CANP at admin@canpweb.org.
Jamie Sorenson is a San Diego-based, board certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner and Clinical Nurse Specialist, licensed to practice in California and Montana. She spent nearly 25 years in the U.S. Navy, many of which were serving Navy service members and their dependents in hospitals and other facilities in the U.S. and abroad. She currently runs a private practice in Coronado, Jamie M. Sorenson Psych Nurse Practitioner, providing patient care in California and Montana primarily through telemedicine. She also provides care to individuals who are persistently severely mentally ill through a county program. She is an author of two self-help fictional novels, avid speaker, marathoner and animal lover.
Connections: How did you become interested in becoming an NP and decide to focus on psychiatric care?
Jamie: Growing up I wanted to be an accountant, but between ages 18 and 21 I experienced three profound deaths. I happened to be taking a Psychology class while I was grieving, and it was very helpful. I then thought I wanted to be a psychologist, but I realized I was too much of a busybody to be a psychologist, so I decided to become a nurse. And while taking care of patients as a nurse I realized people needed time to be heard as part of their healing process. I remember the particular case of a woman who came into the hospital because she couldn’t breathe. We thought she was having an asthma attack. It turned out she was having a panic attack having witnessed the murder of her husband and son. At the time I had a great boss who pushed me to go to graduate school. Eventually, that led to my becoming a PMHNP.
Connections: You had a 25-year career in the U.S. Navy. How did you use your skills in mental health care as a member of the Service?
Jamie: Even before I received my graduate degrees, I was drawn to mental health care. After serving in Cuba as a charge nurse at the Guantanamo Bay Detention Hospital and Clinic, I worked as Assistant Division Officer and charge nurse for the psychiatric and detoxification units at the Naval Medical Center in Portsmouth, VA. After completing my masters and PMHNP, I worked at the Naval Medical Center San Diego working in various capacities – substance abuse rehab, PTSD, medication education – as well as a training officer for staff. When the Navy needed someone to deploy on a ship, I became the sole mental health provider on the USNS Mercy for a crew of about 1,200. I later spent two years at the U.S. Naval Hospital in Okinawa as the Associate Director of Mental Health, and was later deployed to Sembach, Germany where I supported returning sailors with mental health treatment. My last position for the military was establishing a mental health program and care for service members, primarily submariners, assigned to Command Submarine Squadron 11 at Point Loma.
Connections: You recently retired from the Navy and opened your own private pay practice just before the pandemic struck. What has the transition been like for you?
Jamie: I am a person of faith, and I feel like I have been incredibly blessed. I am seeing a lot of people who are unemployed for the first time ever and have time to focus on their mental health and are now seeking treatment. I also see people who want to detox. I have seen increased depression and anxiety, especially among young kids, teens and young adults in their 20s. There is a lot of loneliness, social isolation – people who would not normally seek mental health treatment if it weren’t for loneliness. They are not going out with friends; they don’t have routine or structure. There is so much fear and hype from the media. There are a lot of reports of increased drinking. I work aggressively to get them better. I am very comprehensive, nurturing and holistic in my approach to patients.
Connections: How is the business side of your practice going, especially with the challenges of seeing patients remotely?
Jamie: My practice is about 50 percent full, but I am working full time, as I also work with the county. I am my own receptionist, and running the business takes time. Most of my visits now are done via telehealth. The benefits are that I can talk to patients while holding my dog. And it’s convenient for patients. They don’t have to drive anywhere or find parking. You have to make sure the patient has completed their paperwork, charged their cell phones or laptops and have a good internet connection or cell phone reception. For patients who really need human interaction and request to see me in person, I will do a walking appointment – not for the first visit, but for subsequent longer visits.
Connections: What can you tell us about the overall health of the PMHNP profession?
Jamie: When I started it was the second lowest paying NP specialty. Now I think it’s the second highest. As a result, there are people going into it who don’t have the heart for it or are making egregious decisions because they went into the field for the wrong reasons with minimal experience. The profession is hard if you really, really care. I think before becoming a PMHNP you should spend time in regular psychiatric nursing, especially the night shift. And you should do a lot of advanced education. Also, I think it is vital that an individual have experience with inpatient detox; if they are going to do outpatient detox. In California, the opportunities for PMHNPs are huge: prisons, detox and rehab centers, health retreats, hospitals, oncology floors and cancer centers, hospice, schools. Even some businesses are embedding PMHNPs. It is a great opportunity for NPs if you care and have the right skill set.