Psychiatry-mental health (PMH) nursing is a specialty focused on providing direct care to individuals, families, groups, and communities, assessing their mental health (American Psychiatric Nurses Association, 2018).
What do psychiatric-mental health nurses do?
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- PMH nurses develop individualized plans for each patient, provide counseling, assist with activities of daily living and administer medications.
- Advanced practice PMH nurses assess, diagnose, and treat mental health problems by conducting psychotherapy sessions and prescribing psychiatric drugs.
Where do psychiatric-mental health nurses work?
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PMH nurses may work in a variety of settings including hospitals, psychiatric hospitals, home health agencies, correctional facilities, outpatient mental health organizations, and schools.
What do psychiatric-mental health nurses need to know?
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A profession in psychiatric/mental health nursing requires:
- an understanding of behavioral science and psychiatric disorders such as anxiety (panic attacks, phobias), mood disorders (depression, bipolar), substance abuse, and dementia.
- keen assessment and monitoring skills.
- vast knowledge of psychiatric medications and therapeutic techniques.
- experience in crisis intervention.
More psychiatric-mental health nursing resources
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- Nursing Pocket Cards, including delirium, dementia, and depression
- Guideline Summaries, including suicide risk assessment
- Blog posts, with infographics, mnemonics, tips, and more
- Journal
- Articles and nursing continuing professional development (NCPD) activities
- Headlines and news stories
- Society partners
Reference:
American Psychiatric Nurses Association (2018). About APNA: Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurses. Retrieved from https://www.apna.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=3292#1
Use this Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing Certification Review Course to study for the psychiatric mental health nursing certification from the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), which grants the credential Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse-Board Certified (PMH-BC™).