Anand Brahmbhatt, MSN, APRN-CNP, psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner
As a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner in Akron Children’s Lois and John Orr Family Behavioral Health Center, Anand Brahmbhatt, MSN, APRN-CNP, spends a lot of time listening to his patient families. Being able to connect with his patients and understand their challenges helps Anand provide compassionate mental health care. Read the feedback a patient family shared after a recent visit:
“Anand (Brahmbhatt) truly cares about our children. He remembers details about their lives, including friends, sports, vacations, school details and coaches. He asks them about their lives and truly engages with them. He is very patient if they don’t feel like talking. He has truly helped our children find the right medication and is very helpful with adjusting medicines up and down. We are so thankful for his care. He listens and shows he really cares.”
Reflecting on this patient experience and the feedback you received, how do you feel about it?
It is really humbling and wonderful to receive this affirmation for things I don’t necessarily realize about the care I provide to my patients. You want to know you are making a difference, so it’s nice to know that the job I do is meaningful to others.
How do you build rapport with patients and families to engage with them and show you care?
It’s important to just be myself with my patient families. I like to think of myself as funny, so I will often use humor to connect with them. At every patient encounter there’s a story to uncover, so I try to get to know them and learn why they are here. When I show them that I’m genuinely interested, that translates to good rapport.
What does patient- and family-centered care mean to you? How do you strive to deliver that care?
When you work with kids, it’s not just the child you are treating but the whole family. Most of my job involves one-on-ones with patient families. The entire family unit has something to contribute to the narrative I’m collecting. Often parents will help a younger child explain what is happening, but many times the child can express themselves better than a parent might realize.
I also recognize that I’m not just developing a treatment plan for the child. I have to consider how the treatment plan fits the entire family and life outside of the patient.
What do you most enjoy about your work at Akron Children’s?
I love the kids and families that I treat. These parents are so invested in helping their children get the mental health care they need, especially at an early age.
It is wonderful to work in a place that is so family-oriented. Many of my patients have such an intimate connection with the hospital because of previous providers who have made a positive impact on their lives.
I also appreciate that if I find a patient family needs a longer appointment time, it’s not a big deal to do that. My job is to listen to my patients and I love that I’m able to give them as much time as they need. It’s nice to know that I’m part of a bigger team. If I find my patients need other specialists, I am able to refer them to other departments to make sure they get the best possible care.
