Understanding the Training of Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioners

• Published in: Academic psychiatry Vol. 47; no. 3; pp. 304 - 308
• Main Authors: Aggarwal, Rashi, Cowley, Deborah S., Tang, Jean, Lundquist, Rebecca S., Wolf, Kari M., Walaszek, Art
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cham Springer International Publishing 01-06-2023; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Academic Degrees; Accreditation; Advanced practice nurses; Aging (Individuals); Associate Degrees; Certification; Child & adolescent psychiatry; Clinical medicine; Commentary; Curricula; Departments; Educational Background; Family Practice (Medicine); Gerontology; Graduate Medical Education; Health Promotion; Humans; Job Satisfaction; Medical Education; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Mental Disorders; Mental Health; Modeling (Psychology); National Organizations; Nurse practitioners; Nurse Practitioners - education; Nurses; Nursing education; Pharmacology; Politics of Education; Professionals; Program Evaluation; Psychiatric Nursing - education; Psychiatrists; Psychiatry; Psychotherapy; Resistance (Psychology); Shortages; Teacher Certification; Trainees; United States > US
• ISSN: 1042-9670; 1545-7230
• DOI: 10.1007/s40596-022-01679-0

[...]in 2016, the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) published data indicating that 3.3 to 6.7 psychiatrists per 100,000 people were needed to eliminate every area of the country from the designation of Health Care Professional Shortage Area for Mental Health [4]. [...]there are masters-level clinical nurse specialists, whose training usually focuses on education, health care leadership, or counseling/therapies, and doctors of philosophy (PhDs) in nursing, who are trained as research scientists. While currently PMHNPs can graduate with either an MSN or DNP degree, the National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties made a commitment in 2018 to move all nurse practitioner education to the DNP degree by 2025 due to the evolution of the role and need for rigorous training [10]. [...]we will focus our discussion on DNP training with references to MSN training where most pertinent. Clinical training can occur in a variety of settings and with diverse populations, including outpatient clinics (mental health and primary care), community health centers (urban and rural), inpatient settings, private practice settings, veteran care systems, nursing homes, correctional facilities, and addiction and recovery services.