Can a Family Nurse Practitioner Work in Psychiatry

Increasingly common is the understanding that mental health is but as important as physical wellness. As the stigma surrounding mental illness continues to suspension downwardly, more than and more people may notice themselves seeking psychiatric and mental health care—and that care may exist provided by a Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP).

Steps to Become a Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner

There are some common steps to accept in order to become a PMHNP. Review the footstep-past-pace guide below to become a general sense for what the procedure entails:

1. Get a registered nurse.

To get a PMHNP, you must offset obtain a license every bit a registered nurse (RN) in a U.S. state or territory. To do this, y'all'll demand to complete an associate degree in nursing plan, a diploma in nursing, or a iv-year Bachelor of Science in Nursing. After you complete your plan, you'll be eligible to take the RN licensing examination.

2. Laissez passer the NCLEX-RN examination.

To be certified every bit an RN, yous'll need to consummate and pass the official RN licensing examination—the NCLEX-RN. After that, y'all can utilise for land licensure every bit an RN.

3. Employ to accredited PMHNP programs.

Whether yous're applying to a master'southward or doctoral PMHNP programme, information technology must be accredited by either the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) or the Accreditation Commission for Pedagogy in Nursing (ACEN), to ensure it meets educational standards.

four. Consummate 500 relevant, faculty-supervised clinical hours.

To come across the requirements of the Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP-BC) certification, yous'll need to complete 500 faculty-supervised hours specifically related to the PMHNP role and client population.

v. Apply to have the psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner test.

To earn your PMHNP certification, yous'll need to take—and pass—the psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner examination administered by the American Nursing Credentialing Center (ANCC).

half dozen. Employ for country-specific PMHNP certification.

Yous'll also need to apply for PMHNP certification in the state you wish to practice. Note that there are different state-specific requirements and disparities in practice laws, regulations, and qualifications across the U.South. In other words, practice laws in the state where y'all currently live may not be the aforementioned as those in the land where you attended school.

One time you've passed the exam and earned your PMHNP certification, you'll demand to renew it every 5 years, through the ANCC board besides as through your specific country board. Go along in mind that in some cases, this may require the fulfillment of continuing pedagogy hours.

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What is a Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner?

A PMHNP works with individuals, families, groups, and communities. PMHNPs follow a multi-phase workflow for each client: assessing mental health needs, developing a nursing diagnosis and program of care, implementing the nursing process, and evaluating information technology for effectiveness.

What does a Psychiatric-Mental Wellness Nurse Practitioner do?

PMHNPs combine a variety of nursing, psychosocial, and neurobiological expertise and methodologies to diagnose, care for, and improve the outcomes of patients facing psychiatric or mental health challenges.

Twenty-four hour period-to-solar day, PMHNPs fulfill broad responsibilities that contribute to therapeutic relationship-building with their clients. Depending on a PMHNP's specialization and targeted client base, their specific daily approaches and methodologies may vary. Merely generally, a PMHNP'southward scope of practice involves patient assessment, diagnosis, planning, treatment, and evaluation—and may be ongoing for months or fifty-fifty years for each unmarried client.

PMHNPs don't just provide individualized care, they also work with their patients' families, appoint their fellow health intendance peers in dialogue and research, and actively educate communities to subtract stigma surrounding mental health and the seeking of mental health services.

Where does a Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner work?

PMHNPs tin work across a broad assortment of settings. Some of the common piece of work environments include hospitals, primary care settings, clinics, schools, telemedicine settings, public health facilities, and private practices.

Depending on the setting, PMHNPs can piece of work with a variety of dissimilar patient profiles. These may include individuals struggling with opioid, alcohol, or other substance employ disorders, children exposed to agin or traumatic events, soldiers or other armed services personnel, older adults struggling with Alzheimer'due south or dementia, adolescents and adults against anxiety or depression, and anyone experiencing suicidal thoughts.

Should I become a Psychiatric-Mental Wellness Nurse Practitioner?

A career every bit a PMHNP tin can be both fulfilling and rewarding for anyone interested in improving the mental health and psychiatric well-being of patients and communities. Today, many PMHNPs and aspiring mental health care professionals are passionate nigh reducing the lingering stigma around mental illness, closing the access gap for mental health services, and integrating mental health care further into the primary care setting.

Working equally a PMHNP may help these professionals actively engage with their passions and contribute to making these long-term goals a reality. If improving mental wellness outcomes and admission to services are causes you care well-nigh, becoming a PMHNP might be a fulfilling path for you.

According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, one in 25 adults experience serious mental disease [PDF, 504 KB]. But all too often, access is limited for the communities near in need of mental health services. Psychiatric nurses are uniquely poised to fill in these gaps, helping to increase equitable access to mental health care and providing much-needed services.The employment outlook for the field matches the growing demand. According to the National Center for Health Workforce Analysis, the national supply of psychiatric nurse practitioners is projected to abound by 6,690 betwixt 2016 and 2030 [PDF, 734 KB]—that's an estimated growth rate of xviii percent.

Is there a need for Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioners?

Yes, there is and there's lots of prove to testify for it. Co-ordinate to the Kaiser Family Foundation, more than than 112 one thousand thousand Americans live in mental wellness care HPSAs (HPSA stands for health professional shortage area).

Equally with all nursing specialties, there is a shortage of nurses at every level and in most roles. Why? Our aging, expanding population continues to endure new and uncertain circumstances—and this reality comes with an increased need for psychiatric care. In fact, the demand for qualified mental health professionals in the U.s. has never been greater.

In 2019, 44.8% of adults in the U.s.a. with mental illness received handling [PDF, 2.8MB].
As of 2018, 55% of U.S. counties do not have a practicing psychiatrist [PDF, 5.ix MB].
Furthermore, a 2017 survey notes that more 50 percentage of adults affected by the almost mutual mental health atmospheric condition—depression and substance employ—did not receive any course of handling in the yr prior to the survey.
Meanwhile, racial, cultural, and ethnic minorities face a asymmetric lack of access and higher levels of unmet mental health needs. A shortage of mental health professionals and services, specially in rural and low-income areas, contributes largely to these gaps.

Countrywide estimates of mental wellness professional shortages in 2020 revealed that only 26.9% of mental health services need is met. The professionals include psychiatrists, clinical psychologists, mental health counselors, substance corruption social workers and more. Skilled PMHNPs can be relied on to fill some of these intendance gaps.

Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP-BC) Certification

At that place is one certification offered past the ANCC for PMHNP to pursue. The ANCC offered PMHNP certification aligns with the Consensus Model for APRN Regulation. Afterwards meeting eligibility requirements and passing the competency exam, nurses are awarded the credential.

American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) – Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (Across the Lifespan) Certification (PMHNP-BC)

Eligibility Requirements:

Active RN license in a state of territory of the United States or legally recognized equivalent
Master's caste or higher from a psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner programme with at to the lowest degree 500 clinical hours accredited by the CCNE or the American Commission for Instruction in Nursing ACEN
Three graduate-level courses in advanced physiology/pathophysiology, avant-garde health assessment, and advanced pharmacology
Content in health promotion and/or maintenance and differential diagnosis and disease direction.
Clinical training in at least ii psychotherapeutic modalities
Passing competency-based examination

Fees:

$395 non-member
$295 American Nurses Association fellow member
$340 American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) member
$290 AANP educatee member
$220 American Psychiatric Nurses Association member
$340 International Club of Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurses member

Renewal:

Certifications must be renewed every v years. Renewal applications are due at to the lowest degree three months before your certification expiration date.

Data for the PMHNP-BC certification from the ANCC was last retrieved in October 2021. For the near up-to-date information, visit the ANCC website.

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State Nursing Licensure Information

PMHNP Resource

Below are some organizations with resources that may be helpful for aspiring and current PMHNPs:

American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). The ANCC site offers a host of resources surrounding certification, membership, advocacy, didactics, events, and more.
American Psychiatric Nurses Association (APNA) . This the largest professional membership organization for practicing nurses in psychiatric-mental health fields. Their website offers relevant reports and other publications for current APNA members and aspiring PMHNPs alike.
International Social club of Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurses (ISPN). The ISPN is defended to supporting PMHNPs in their promotion of mental health care, literacy, and policy beyond the world. Their site has data virtually membership, conferences, events, publications, and other relevant resources.

FAQs

Here are answers to some ofttimes asked questions about the PMHP path, profession, and do.

What is a PMHNP?

A PMHNP, or psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner, is an avant-garde practice registered nurse (APRN) trained to aid the mental health needs of individuals, families, groups or communities.

How long does information technology take to become a psychiatric mental wellness nurse practitioner?

The fourth dimension it takes to become a PMHNP may vary depending on your previous education. If you have a Bachelor of Scientific discipline in Nursing (BSN) degree, you may apply for MSN PMHNP programs. However, if you are a career changer or a registered nurse without a BSN, your fourth dimension to get a PMHNP may be longer. It'south important to besides gene in time to complete national certification and state licensure requirements.

Do psychiatric nurse practitioners provide counseling?

Psychiatric nurse practitioners may—and often do—provide psychiatric evaluations and psychotherapy in improver to managing medical diagnoses and treatments. PMH nursing can overlap with methodologies used in the psychiatry and counseling fields, and PMHNPs may provide professional advice and support similar a psychiatrist, counselor or other mental health professional might every bit role of an effective, comprehensive scope of practice.

What is the departure between a PMHNP vs Psychiatrist?

While psychiatrists and PMHNPs are both cardinal members of the mental health field, their responsibilities, roles and qualifications differ vastly. The key differences between PMHNPs and psychiatrists center around differing degree requirements and prescriptive authorities.

Condign a practicing psychiatrist requires obtaining a full medical degree, gaining a state certification, and completing an internship and/or residency. PMHNPs generally earn a BSN, as well every bit an MSN or DNP degree, and are licensed, advanced practice registered nurses, just they are non medical doctors (MDs). Since clinical psychiatrists are MDs, they can prescribe medications to treat mental illnesses—and for a long time, they were the only professionals allowed to exercise so.

Can psychiatric nurses prescribe medication?

Nurse practitioners are given various levels of prescriptive authority across the United States. For the most office, the caste to which a nurse practitioner is able to prescribe medication is dependent on the state in which they're certified to practice, and the schedule of the drug that they're seeking to prescribe. The American Medical Association has land-by-state information about nurse practitioner prescriptive potency.

Can I become a psychiatric nurse practitioner with a psychology degree?

The brusque answer is aye, although you'll however demand a nursing degree. A background in psychology could exist a valuable nugget for the exercise and is typically part of the required coursework for BSN, MSN degree, or DNP students. But carry in mind such a background doesn't translate directly to psychiatric nursing. Whether you take a bachelor'south, main'southward, or other college education degree in psychology, y'all'll nonetheless need to study the nuts of nursing to become a PMHNP. Other necessary steps for condign a PMHNP include gaining RN licensure, gaining field experience, and obtaining PMHNP certification.

What is the difference between a PMHNP vs FNP?

A PMHNP besides differs from an FNP—or a family nurse practitioner. FNPs are also RNs, but instead of specializing in psychiatric-mental wellness work, they piece of work as a nurse practitioner in family unit medicine. This means they completed an MSN or DNP as an RN, but took additional coursework to specialize in family unit medicine. FNP programs may embrace topics such as family planning, child development, and geriatric care. As such, FNPs tend to develop relationships with entire family units, providing comprehensive care and counseling beyond the entire lifespan, but are non specifically trained or qualified to provide psychiatric-mental wellness services, like PMHPs.

Terminal updated Oct 2021.

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Source: https://nursinglicensemap.com/advanced-practice-nursing/nurse-practitioner/psychiatric-and-mental-health-nurse-practitioner-pmhnp/