A psychiatric nurse practitioner, or mental health nurse practitioner, performs a wide range of mental health services, including patient assessment, psychiatric diagnosis, and medication management. Keep reading to learn more about what psychiatric nurse practitioners do.
Career Overview
Psychiatric nurse practitioners work in a wide range of settings and see patients who suffer from many different mental health issues, such as psychosis, schizophrenia, depression, bipolar disorder, and dementia. Psychiatric nurse practitioners work in a variety of settings, including outpatient clinics, primary care units, private practices, community health centers, and hospitals. They may also provide services in substance abuse programs, high-risk pregnancy centers, schools, prisons, and trauma centers.
The role of mental health nurse practitioners is broad. They take patients' medical histories, conduct physical and psychological assessments, manage medications, create treatment plans, and handle ongoing care. Typically, nurse practitioners specialize in a particular patient group, focusing on family psychiatry or geriatric psychiatry, for instance.
<h3 id="section---ImportantFactsAboutPsychiatricMentalHealthNursePractitioners"> Important Facts About Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioners</h3><p></p><table border="1"><tr><td> Professional Certification </td><td> RN-BC designation available through the American Nurses Credentialing Center</td></tr>
<tr><td> Key Skills </td><td> Critical thinking, problem-solving, analytical thinking, social awareness, observational, time management, reading comprehension, clear judgment, and decision making</td></tr>
<tr><td> Work Environment </td><td> Typically weekdays, but may include nights, weekends, and holidays</td></tr>
<tr><td> Similar Occupations </td><td> Charge nurses; clinical nurse managers; clinical nurse specialists; family nurse practitioners; psychiatric nurse practitioners; registered nurses</td></tr>
</table><h3 id="section---TreatmentApproach">Treatment Approach</h3><p>Psychiatric nurse practitioners offer holistic, long-term assistance to patients. They assess, diagnose, and medicate patients while taking into consideration the biological, psychological, and social contexts and development of these patients. This is commonly referred to in the mental health world as a 'biopsychosocial' approach.
</p><h3 id="section---EducationalOptions">Educational Options</h3><p>Typically, mental health nurse practitioners earn a Bachelor of Science in Nursing before passing the NCLEX-RN test to become licensed registered nurses. Next, they enroll in master's degree programs. Here they usually choose a track that focuses on child and adolescent, family, adult, or geriatric psychiatry. Courses in these psychiatric nursing programs cover topics like family and group therapy, symptom management, psychopharmacology, mental health assessment, high-risk families, and psychotherapy techniques.
</p><h3 id="section---SalaryInfoAndJobOutlook">Salary Info and Job Outlook</h3><p>According to BLS <i>www.bls.gov</i>, the annual median wage of nurse practitioners was $120,680 in 2021. It also states that employment for this occupation, in general, will likely grow by almost 46% between 2021 and 2031.</p>
