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What do Advanced Practice Psychiatric Nurses do?
Provide advanced nursing care for patients with psychiatric disorders. May provide psychotherapy under the direction of a psychiatrist.
What are the Main Tasks of Advanced Practice Psychiatric Nurses?
- Diagnose psychiatric disorders and mental health conditions.
- Distinguish between physiologically and psychologically based disorders and diagnose appropriately.
- Assess patients' mental and physical status based on the presenting symptoms and complaints.
- Conduct individual, group, or family psychotherapy for those with chronic or acute mental disorders.
- Monitor patients' medication usage and results.
- Evaluate patients' behavior to formulate diagnoses or assess treatments.
- Educate patients and family members about mental health and medical conditions, preventive health measures, medications, or treatment plans.
- Document patients' medical and psychological histories, physical assessment results, diagnoses, treatment plans, prescriptions, or outcomes.
- Collaborate with interdisciplinary team members, including psychiatrists, psychologists, or nursing staff, to develop, implement, or evaluate treatment plans.
- Write prescriptions for psychotropic medications as allowed by state regulations and collaborative practice agreements.
- Participate in activities aimed at professional growth and development including conferences or continuing education activities.
- Monitor the use and status of medical and pharmaceutical supplies.
- Develop and implement treatment plans.
- Consult with psychiatrists or other professionals when unusual or complex cases are encountered.
- Interpret diagnostic or laboratory tests such as electrocardiograms (EKGs) and renal functioning tests.
- Participate in treatment team conferences regarding diagnosis or treatment of difficult cases.
- Teach classes in mental health topics such as stress reduction.
- Refer patients requiring more specialized or complex treatment to psychiatrists, primary care physicians, or other medical specialists.
- Develop practice protocols for mental health problems based on review and evaluation of published research.
- Develop, implement, or evaluate programs such as outreach activities, community mental health programs, and crisis situation response activities.
- Direct or provide home health services.
- Administer medications including those administered by injection.
- Provide routine physical health screenings to detect or monitor problems such as heart disease and diabetes.
- Treat patients for routine physical health problems.
