Meet Dr. Tudhope!
Jim Tudhope, DNP, APRN, PMHNP-BC, joined the College of Nursing as an Assistant Professor in the Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) concentration in 2019.
Dr. Tudhope graduated with his Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) from Kent State University with his doctoral dissertation, “Development and Design of a Competency-Based Curriculum for an Integrated Community Psychiatry Nurse Practitioner Fellowship Program.”1
Stemming from his experiences as a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner, licensed professional counselor, and registered nurse, Dr. Tudhope’s research focuses on professional development for nurses and the development and design of advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) fellowship programs. Specifically, he investigates better alignment for early entry APRNs in community mental health with patients who have established complex integrative needs. To accomplish this goal, Dr. Tudhope examines the development, design, and measurement of APRN fellowship programs to help ensure a successful transition to practice, investigating process measures related to role development and outcome measures associated with APRN retention and patient quality and safety.
Dr. Tudhope’s research examining effective APRN fellowship programs is complemented by his continuing practice in the field of psychiatric nursing. Dr. Tudhope is Program Director for the Integrated Community Psychiatry Nurse Practitioner Fellowship that he initiated in September 2018, and he currently serves as Medication Clinic Coordinator at a community mental health agency, providing leadership and management to a team of psychiatric mental health advanced practice registered nurses (PMH-APRNs).
His clinical practice underlies another research area of interest: medication-assisted treatment, or MAT. Considered the gold standard for the treatment of opioid use disorders, MAT is an evidence-based treatment that reduces harm and accidental overdose and death among active users. However, access to this treatment is currently limited, leaving many patients and families with unmet needs. In an effort to improve patient outcomes and clinician satisfaction with MAT, Dr. Tudhope is investigating barriers to the implementation of MAT to improve access for patients and families and increase support and mentoring for clinicians providing this life-saving treatment.
Prior to his full-time faculty position, Dr. Tudhope served as a part-time faculty member at Kent State University teaching core graduate courses in the Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner MSN degree program within the College of Nursing. He was the recipient of the DNP Scholar Award given by the College of Nursing and funded by the Margaret Clark Morgan Foundation (now Peg’s Foundation) to expand the number of doctorally prepared PMH-APRNs leading mental health systems to change.
In addition to his service to the College, Dr. Tudhope has worked as a registered nurse since 2001, a licensed professional counselor since 2008, and a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner (PMHNP) since 2013, including positions at Summa Health System, Akron General (now Akron General Cleveland Clinic), and Portage Path Behavioral Health. His professional affiliations include membership in the American Psychiatric Nurses Association, Ohio Association of Advanced Practice Nurses, Association for Nursing Professional Development, and Association of Post Graduate APRN Programs.
Learn more about Kent State University Master of Science in Nursing faculty.
NEW PROGRAM! Enroll today in the Online Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Graduate Certificate at Kent State University
The Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner graduate certificate at Kent State University prepares nurses, who already have a graduate nursing degree, with the additional specialized knowledge for the psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner role.
For more information on Kent State’s Online Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Graduate Certificate, visit https://onlinedegrees.kent.edu/degrees/certificate-psychiatric-mental-health-nurse-practitioner.
1 Retrieved on April 5, 2021, from https://www.kent.edu/nursing/news/tudhope-develops-psych-np-fellowship-program-investigates-implementation-barriers
