Occupation

Advanced Practice Psychiatric Nurses

Human Advantage 83%

Strongly human-essential role

AI Automation Risk Low Risk
2.4 / 10

This occupation requires complex human judgment, social interaction, and creative problem-solving that are difficult to automate.

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: APN (Advanced Practice Nurse), 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, 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 +13 more

Core Tasks

  1. Assess patients' mental and physical status, based on the presenting symptoms and complaints.
  2. Diagnose psychiatric disorders and mental health conditions.
  3. Document patients' medical and psychological histories, physical assessment results, diagnoses, treatment plans, prescriptions, or outcomes.
  4. Educate patients and family members about mental health and medical conditions, preventive health measures, medications, or treatment plans.
  5. Write prescriptions for psychotropic medications as allowed by state regulations and collaborative practice agreements.
  6. Monitor patients' medication usage and results.
  7. Evaluate patients' behavior to formulate diagnoses or assess treatments.
  8. Distinguish between physiologically- and psychologically-based disorders, and diagnose appropriately.
  9. Develop and implement treatment plans.
  10. Conduct individual, group, or family psychotherapy for those with chronic or acute mental disorders.
  11. Participate in activities aimed at professional growth and development, including conferences or continuing education activities.
  12. Collaborate with interdisciplinary team members, including psychiatrists, psychologists, or nursing staff, to develop, implement, or evaluate treatment plans.
  13. Consult with psychiatrists or other professionals when unusual or complex cases are encountered.
  14. Refer patients requiring more specialized or complex treatment to psychiatrists, primary care physicians, or other medical specialists.
  15. Participate in treatment team conferences regarding diagnosis or treatment of difficult cases.
  16. Interpret diagnostic or laboratory tests, such as electrocardiograms (EKGs) and renal functioning tests.
  17. Develop practice protocols for mental health problems, based on review and evaluation of published research.
  18. Provide routine physical health screenings to detect or monitor problems such as heart disease and diabetes.
  19. Administer medications, including those administered by injection.
  20. Develop, implement, or evaluate programs such as outreach activities, community mental health programs, and crisis situation response activities.

Supplemental Tasks (4)

  1. Monitor the use and status of medical and pharmaceutical supplies.
  2. Treat patients for routine physical health problems.
  3. Direct or provide home health services.
  4. Teach classes in mental health topics, such as stress reduction.

Emerging Tasks

New and evolving responsibilities for this role:

  • Mentor nursing students.

Education & Training

Job Zone 5 Job Zone Five: Extensive Preparation Needed
Education: 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: 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.
On-the-Job Training: Employees may need some on-the-job training, but most of these occupations assume that the person will already have the required skills, knowledge, work-related experience, and/or training.

Education Level Distribution

Percentage of workers in this occupation with each education level.

Master's Degree
87%
Doctoral Degree
9%
First Professional Degree - awarded for completion of a program that: requires at least 2 years of college work before entrance into the program, includes a total of at least 6 academic years of work to complete, and provides all remaining academic requirements to begin practice in a profession.
4%
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Technology & Tools

Hot Technologies

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

Software (29)

  • AUDIT-C
  • Beck Anxiety Inventory
  • Beck Depression Inventory
  • Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale BPRS Nursing Modification
  • California Verbal Learning Test
  • Category Fluency Test
  • Children's Depression Inventory
  • Controlled Oral Word Association Task
  • Electroconvulsive therapy equipment
  • Epic HER
  • Geriatric Depression Scale
  • Hendrich Falls Risk Model
  • Invivo Data EPX ePRO Management System
  • Medical condition coding software
  • Millon Behavioral Medicine Diagnostic
  • Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 MMPI-2
  • Myers Briggs Type Indicator
  • NEO PI-R
  • Patient Health Questionaire
  • Patient management software
  • Web browser software
  • Young Mania Rating Scale
  • Zung Depression Rating Scale

Tools & Equipment (16)

  • 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
  • Transcutaneous electric nerve stimulation TENS equipment

Where This Career Leads

Career progression organized by specialty track and experience level.

Physical Health Advanced Manufacturing

Zone 2
Physical Therapist Aides 79% match
Zone 3
Acute Care Nurses 94% match
Zone 4
Critical Care Nurses 92% match
Zone 5
Advanced Practice Psychiatric Nurses You are here

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Real Talk

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