Advanced Practice Psychiatric Nurses
Advanced Practice Psychiatric Nurses is the O*NET name for people who assess, diagnose, and treat individuals and families with mental health or substance use disorders or the potential for such disorders. Interest ratings put Social on top at 6.1 out of 7 and Investigative second, so the code is SIC and the day leans toward helping, teaching or caring for people. The preparation level is extensive preparation, typically graduate school and often five years or more of related experience. O*NET’s skill data points to active listening, social perceptiveness, and speaking as the ones to build. Expect to assess patients' mental and physical status, based on the presenting symptoms and complaints. It tends to suit people who want helping, teaching or caring for people, and it offers little for anyone seeking leading, persuading and making business decisions.
What they do
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.
Main tasks
- 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.
Skills
- Active Listening
- Social Perceptiveness
- Speaking
- Writing
- Time Management
- Reading Comprehension
Who this career fits
May suit you if
- You get energy from helping other people move forward.
- You enjoy working out why something happens, not just what happened.
- You are prepared for graduate-level study and a long training path.
- You are comfortable relying on active listening and social perceptiveness.
May not suit you if
- You find a full day of dealing with people draining.
- You want to lead people or run the business side. Enterprising rates 2.0 out of 7 here.
- You want to be working in the field within the next few years.
Interest profile
O*NET rates each occupation from 1 to 7 on six interest types. The code SIC takes the three highest, and Social comes first here.
Preparation
Extensive preparation. Many jobs here need graduate study, and people often spend five years or more building specialist experience.
Most-reported requirement in the O*NET survey: Master's Degree. This reflects what workers reported most often and is not a legal minimum. Licensing rules can differ by state or industry, so confirm what applies where you plan to work.
Also called
- Adult Psychiatric Mental Health APRN (Adult Psychiatric Mental Health Advanced Practice Registered Nurse)
- Advanced Practice Psychiatric Nurse
- APN (Advanced Practice Nurse)
- Board Certified Psychiatric Mental Health Clinical Nurse Specialist (BC PMH-CNS)
- PMHNP (Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner)
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This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.