Advanced Practice Psychiatric Nurses

Career Overview

Assess, diagnose, and treat individuals and families with mental health or substance use disorders or the potential for such disorders. Apply therapeutic activities, including the prescription of medication, per state regulations, and the administration of psychotherapy.

Also Known As

• Advanced Practice Psychiatric Nurse
• PMHNP (Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner)
• Psychiatric Clinical Nurse Specialist (Psychiatric CNS)
• Psychiatric NP (Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner)

Alternate Job Titles

• Adult PMHNP (Adult Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner)
• Adult Psychiatric Mental Health APRN (Adult Psychiatric Mental Health Advanced Practice Registered Nurse)
• Advanced Practice Provider (APP)
• Advanced Practice Psychiatric Nurse
• APN (Advanced Practice Nurse)
• Board Certified Psychiatric Mental Health Clinical Nurse Specialist (BC PMH-CNS)
• Family Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (Family Psychiatric Mental Health NP)
• Mental Health Nurse
• Mental Health Physician
• Mental Health Provider
• PMH-APRN (Psychiatric Mental Health Advanced Practice Registered Nurse)
• PMHNP (Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner)
• Psychiatric APN (Psychiatric Advanced Practice Nurse)
• Psychiatric Clinical Nurse Specialist (Psychiatric CNS)
• Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse (PMH Nurse)

What You'll Do

In this role, your typical responsibilities include:

• Assess patients' mental and physical status, based on the presenting symptoms and complaints.
• Diagnose psychiatric disorders and mental health conditions.
• Document patients' medical and psychological histories, physical assessment results, diagnoses, treatment plans, prescriptions, or outcomes.
• Educate patients and family members about mental health and medical conditions, preventive health measures, medications, or treatment plans.
• Write prescriptions for psychotropic medications as allowed by state regulations and collaborative practice agreements.
• Monitor patients' medication usage and results.
• Evaluate patients' behavior to formulate diagnoses or assess treatments.

Emerging Responsibilities

As this field evolves, you may also:

• Mentor nursing students.

Knowledge You'll Use

You'll need solid knowledge in these areas:

• Psychology
• Therapy and Counseling
• English Language
• Medicine and Dentistry
• Biology
• Sociology and Anthropology
• Education and Training
• Customer and Personal Service

Essential Skills

Success in this career requires strong skills in:

1. Active Listening
2. Social Perceptiveness
3. Speaking
4. Monitoring
5. Judgment and Decision Making
6. Reading Comprehension
7. Critical Thinking
8. Writing
9. Time Management
10. Active Learning

Key Abilities

This career requires key abilities in:

• Problem Sensitivity
• Oral Comprehension
• Oral Expression
• Deductive Reasoning
• Written Comprehension
• Speech Recognition
• Inductive Reasoning
• Speech Clarity
• Written Expression
• Information Ordering

Work Style

People who excel in this career typically demonstrate:

• Attention to Detail
• Empathy
• Dependability
• Integrity
• Self-Control

What Matters in This Career

This career tends to satisfy these work values:

• Relationships
• Working Conditions
• Support
• Achievement
• Recognition

Education & Preparation

Typical Education: Master's Degree

Related Work Experience Needed: Over 1 year, up to and including 2 years

On-the-Job Training: Over 6 months, up to and including 1 year

Education Details: Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).

Experience Required: Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience. For example, surgeons must complete four years of college and an additional five to seven years of specialized medical training to be able to do their job.

Technology You'll Use

Popular Technologies & Software

• Microsoft Access
• Microsoft Excel
• Microsoft Office software
• Microsoft Outlook
• Microsoft Word
• SAS

Tools & Equipment

• Binocular light compound microscopes
• Blood pressure cuffs
• Catheters
• Electrocardiogram
• Handheld thermometers
• Hypodermic needles
• Intravenous IV pumps
• Laser facsimile machines
• Mechanical restraints
• Mechanical stethoscopes
• Medication administration systems
• Nebulizers
• Personal computers
• Photocopiers
• Sphygmomanometers

Work Environment

• Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
• E-Mail
• Telephone Conversations
• Freedom to Make Decisions
• Importance of Being Exact or Accurate

Salary & Job Market

Wages reported for the broader Registered Nurses occupational group (BLS 2024), which includes Advanced Practice Psychiatric Nurses.

Salary Percentile	Annual Wage
Entry-Level (10th percentile)	$66,030
Median	$93,600
Top Earners (90th percentile)	$135,320

Workers Employed Nationally: 3,282,010

Related Careers

If you're interested in this career, you might also consider:

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Occupational data sourced from the O*NET OnLine database, developed by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration. Wage data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), 2024.