Advanced Practice Psychiatric Nurse

Also called: Adult Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, Adult Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, Advanced Practice Nurse Psychotherapist (APN Psychotherapist), Advanced Practice Provider, Advanced Practice Psychiatric Nurse

Varies

estimated salary

Advanced practice psychiatric nurses 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.

 

 

  • Monitor patients' medication usage and results.
  • Document patients' medical and psychological histories, physical assessment results, diagnoses, treatment plans, prescriptions, or outcomes.
  • Diagnose psychiatric disorders and mental health conditions.
  • Evaluate patients' behavior to formulate diagnoses or assess treatments.
  • Distinguish between physiologically and psychologically based disorders and diagnose appropriately.
  • Assess patients' mental and physical status based on the presenting symptoms and complaints.
  • 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.
  • Collaborate with interdisciplinary team members, including psychiatrists, psychologists, or nursing staff, to develop, implement, or evaluate treatment plans.
  • Develop and implement treatment plans.
  • Participate in activities aimed at professional growth and development including conferences or continuing education activities.
  • Conduct individual, group, or family psychotherapy for those with chronic or acute mental disorders.
  • Interpret diagnostic or laboratory tests such as electrocardiograms (EKGs) and renal functioning tests.
  • Consult with psychiatrists or other professionals when unusual or complex cases are encountered.
  • Participate in treatment team conferences regarding diagnosis or treatment of difficult cases.
  • Develop practice protocols for mental health problems based on review and evaluation of published research.
  • Refer patients requiring more specialized or complex treatment to psychiatrists, primary care physicians, or other medical specialists.
  • Develop, implement, or evaluate programs such as outreach activities, community mental health programs, and crisis situation response activities.
  • Teach classes in mental health topics such as stress reduction.
  • Administer medications including those administered by injection.
  • Monitor the use and status of medical and pharmaceutical supplies.
  • Provide routine physical health screenings to detect or monitor problems such as heart disease and diabetes.
  • Treat patients for routine physical health problems.
  • Direct or provide home health services.
Work Context
  • Face-to-Face Discussions — 97% responded "Every day".
  • Telephone — 87% responded "Every day".
  • Electronic Mail — 90% responded "Every day".
  • Freedom to Make Decisions — 76% responded "A lot of freedom".
  • Contact With Others — 66% responded "Constant contact with others".
  • Indoors, Environmentally Controlled — 76% responded "Every day".
  • Structured versus Unstructured Work — 56% responded "A lot of freedom".
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Work Activities
  • Assisting and Caring for Others — Providing personal assistance, medical attention, emotional support, or other personal care to others such as coworkers, customers, or patients.
  • Getting Information — Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
  • Documenting/Recording Information — Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
  • Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships — Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
  • Making Decisions and Solving Problems — Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
  • Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge — Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
  • Provide Consultation and Advice to Others — Providing guidance and expert advice to management or other groups on technical, systems-, or process-related topics.
  • Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events — Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
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Detailed Work Activities
  • Teach health management classes.
  • Maintain medical or professional knowledge.
  • Maintain inventory of medical supplies or equipment.
  • Establish nursing policies or standards.
  • Design public or employee health programs.
  • Administer basic health care or medical treatments.
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Knowledge

Therapy and Counseling
  • Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.
Psychology
  • Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
English Language
  • Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
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Skills

Active Listening
  • Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Social Perceptiveness
  • Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Reading Comprehension
  • Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Speaking
  • Talking to others to convey information effectively.
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Abilities

Problem Sensitivity
  • The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
Oral Comprehension
  • The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Oral Expression
  • The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Inductive Reasoning
  • The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
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Personality

People interested in this work like activities that include ideas, thinking, and figuring things out.
They do well at jobs that need:
  • Achievement/Effort
  • Persistence
  • Initiative
  • Leadership
  • Cooperation
  • Concern for Others
  • Social Orientation
  • Self Control
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Technology

You might use software like this on the job:

Medical software
  • Medical condition coding software Hot Technology
  • AUDIT-C
  • Millon Behavioral Medicine Diagnostic
  • Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 MMPI-2
  • Myers Briggs Type Indicator
  • NEO PI
  • Patient Health Questionaire
  • Young Mania Rating Scale
  • Hendrich Falls Risk Model
  • 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
  • Zung Depression Rating Scale
Analytical or scientific software
  • SAS Hot Technology
Data base user interface and query software
  • Microsoft Access Hot Technology
  • Invivo Data EPX ePRO Management System
Spreadsheet software
  • Microsoft Excel Hot Technology