Psychiatric mental health nurse practitioners (PMHNPs) are advanced practice registered nurses who are specially trained in behavioral and mental health. They may work with adults, children, adolescents, the elderly, or groups at any point in the lifespan. PMHNPs play a vital role in helping anyone with mental health concerns or challenges obtain a safe and fulfilling existence. These psychiatric nurse practitioners are devoted to the intervention, treatment, and education of patients in need. But what other roles does a psychiatric nurse take on in the medical field, and why might you want to consider this career path? Read on to learn about the important role of a psychiatric nurse practitioner in America today.
The daily role of a psychiatric nurse practitioner
A PMHNP may see about a dozen patients each day. Each patient is unique and will have an individualized plan of care. As such, the psychiatric nurse practitioner might carry out any of the following responsibilities while working their caseload. As you can probably tell already, the role of a psychiatric nurse can be different each day! The daily role of a PMHNP could include:
- Conducting patient assessments
- Coordinating with other members of the medical or social services teams
- Diagnosing chronic or acute mental illnesses
- Educating patients and their families
- Evaluating treatment plans and adjusting medication dosages and combinations
- Ordering tests
- Prescribing medication
- Providing therapy
- Screening new patients
PMHNPs also adopt an advocacy role in their work. They approach mental healthcare holistically, encouraging outcomes that can be easily integrated into patients’ lifestyles. Ultimately, mental health nurse practitioners fight to destigmatize mental health challenges and foster understanding, acceptance, and support throughout the communities they serve.
Interested in making a difference? Learn about the pathway to an APRN-PMHNP role in our free guide.
How psychiatric mental health nurse practitioners make a difference
There are several, simultaneous mental health issues currently impacting Americans. In fact, there are over 200 mental health illnesses officially cataloged. Some of the most prevalent include anxiety, bipolar disorder, and major depressive disorder, and prevalence of these disorders has spiked since the pandemic of 2020. Certain populations are more vulnerable to specific problems. To understand what it’s like to be a PMHNP, here are just a few examples of how PMNPs might positively impact their patients:
- Aid teens in navigating thoughts of self-harm or suicide
- Apply memory therapies for patients suffering from dementia or Alzheimer’s disease
- Assist children experiencing symptoms of bullying
- Counsel people in recovery from substance use disorders
- Develop safety and trust for children who are victims of neglect or abuse
- Help unhoused people receive mental health treatment access
- Identify post-traumatic-stress-disorders in military personnel returning from combat zones
- Provide mental health support to trans individuals
- See inmates with mental health concerns
- Work with women who have experienced domestic abuse or violence
There are so many circumstances under which a person may decide it is time to seek help from a mental health professional. Through preventative care, mental health challenges can be addressed early, helping patients cope before a problem festers. Unfortunately, there are often many barriers to receiving preventative mental health care. The organization Mental Health America advocates for prevention services and regularly produces up-to-date research data on the current circumstances in the country to bolster the efforts of clinicians and policymakers nationwide. In 2023, MHA found that over half of the adults battling a mental illness are left untreated for reasons such as access and lack of or insufficient insurance.
Unbelievably, there are estimated to be 350 people who need mental health counseling per one mental health provider, and this statistic likely overestimates the number of active mental health providers today. It doesn’t take a degree to imagine how many people are not getting the professional medical mental health attention they need. The more people who take on the role of a psychiatric nurse practitioner, the better equipped the medical field can become to tackle the rising number of patients. With more PMHNPs entering the field, there will be increased early intervention, and perhaps even affordability, of mental health services.
The key qualities of a great psychiatric mental health nurse
Psychiatric mental health nurse practitioners combine compassion and empathy with a comprehensive understanding of pharmacology, mental health theory, and physical assessment. This skill set allows a PMHNP to be decisive and confident when compiling treatment plans specific to each patient’s concerns.
Other qualities of a psychiatric nurse practitioner include sensitivity and excellent listening skills. Their patients are often distraught emotionally or handling high-stress moments in their lives. PMHNPs are empathetic while remaining solution-oriented.
Additionally, the best PMHNPs understand their role in the broader spectrum of community support resources, and they use their communication skills to ensure patients’ care is integrated. For example, in the case of a child or teen who receives mental health treatment, parents, caregivers, teachers, school administrators, social workers, and pediatricians may all need to be made aware of (and onboarded onto) any treatment plans for the best chance at the young person’s mental health success.
Few professions are so strikingly needed than that of a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner. Devoting seven semesters to a part-time, online master’s education is a tiny sacrifice for the enormous impact that one more PMHNP can have on people’s lives.