Advanced Practice Psychiatric Nurses

What Does a Advanced Practice Psychiatric Nurses 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.

Day-to-Day Responsibilities

• 1Assess patients' mental and physical status, based on the presenting symptoms and complaints.
• 2Diagnose psychiatric disorders and mental health conditions.
• 3Document patients' medical and psychological histories, physical assessment results, diagnoses, treatment plans, prescriptions, or outcomes.
• 4Educate patients and family members about mental health and medical conditions, preventive health measures, medications, or treatment plans.
• 5Write prescriptions for psychotropic medications as allowed by state regulations and collaborative practice agreements.
• 6Monitor patients' medication usage and results.
• 7Evaluate patients' behavior to formulate diagnoses or assess treatments.
• 8Distinguish between physiologically- and psychologically-based disorders, and diagnose appropriately.

Required Skills

• Active Listening
• Speaking
• Critical Thinking
• Monitoring
• Writing
• Reading Comprehension
• Active Learning
• Learning Strategies
• 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