Pediatric Nurse Practitioner in Psychiatric-Mental Health

What does a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner in Psychiatric-Mental Health do?

The field of Psychiatric-Mental Health nursing is greatly affected by the shortage of doctors and nurses in our ever-changing health care climate.  Fortunately, there is a growing number of pediatric advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) who have specialized in mental health nursing and are currently helping to fill the void in available pediatric mental health care for patients and their families who have a need for specialized treatment.  These nurse practitioners are committed to providing high quality, family-centered care in a protected environment of safety, confidentiality and trust.  Patients come from referrals, clinics and even some who have been admitted to the emergency department in a time of crisis.  They have a variety of conditions ranging from cognitive to developmental, emotional or behavioral, but no matter where they came from or what their condition, the goal is recovery and wellness.

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Responsibilities of the Pediatric Nurse Practitioner in Psychiatric-Mental Health include conducting comprehensive mental and physical health assessments and physical examinations, developing a diagnosis and creating and monitoring therapeutic treatment plans.  They provide crisis and conflict resolution, prescribe medications and manage both inpatients and outpatients during their course of treatment.  These nurse practitioners provide patient and family education and support and collaborate with other healthcare team members to coordinate patient care.  They manage the discharge process including counseling, care instructions and follow-up plans for patients as they are discharged to their homes or other mental health facilities in the community.  Responsibilities may also include supervising nursing staff and department budgetary monitoring.

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The Pediatric Nurse Practitioner in the Psychiatric-Mental Health field has a Master’s level education, training, skills and experience that equip them to provide advanced psychiatric nursing care and patient management of children and adolescents with psychiatric disorders.  Many go on to complete their Doctorate of Nursing Practice (DNP) enabling them to teach at the university level or do research, while others continue their education through classes, seminars and independent lifelong learning initiatives.  Some have their own private practices while others are in a consultant role within the community.

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Pediatric Nurse Practitioners in Psychiatric-Mental Health say a career in this field is most rewarding.  They know that through their care and interventions, they are providing hope for patients, some of whom have nowhere to turn when they come through the door.  Memorable experiences, particularly seeing children improve and heal with treatment is very gratifying.  Years later when they hear from a former patient or family who is thanking them for all they did for a family member during recovery, they are again reminded of the reason they chose the mental health field for their life’s work and the personal satisfaction they realize from it.


For more detailed information on the field of nursing practice in psychiatry-mental health, refer to the website of the American Psychiatric Nurses Association.

To inquire about PNP jobs visit Melnic Consulting Group or contact: Jill Gilliland 800-886-7906 jill@melnic.com

Nurse Practitioner Mental Health Certification

The Nurse Practitioner in Psychiatry is an advanced practice provider with extensive education in specialty areas such as physiology/pathophysiology, health assessment, and pharmacology.  In this challenging and rewarding role, one must often intervene with vulnerable populations - working with individuals, families, and various groups to assess their mental health needs.  The advanced practice nurse (APRN)  in psychiatry provides age and developmentally appropriate, direct care from medical and psychological perspectives that includes data collection and documentation, development and monitoring of plans of care, initiation and interpretation of laboratory tests and diagnostic procedures, prescribing and managing  medication and development of outcomes as measurable goals. 

Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner-Board Certified or PMHNP – BC is the official certification administered by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) to practice as a nurse practitioner specializing in psychiatry.  The ANCC outlines the following as the eligibility requirements to take the certification examination.  Once an individual successfully passes the exam, they are awarded the credential: Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner-Board Certified (PMHNP-BC).

The role of an inpatient PMHNP-BC will vary from an outpatient role.  In an outpatient role, the NP can assess, counsel,  refer to social services, and treat patients with psychological needs.  In an outpatient setting, NPs can see new and follow up patients.  Outpatient Mental Health NPs benefit from experience in primary care medicine.  Job opportunities exist for NPs within a hospital ambulatory or clinic environment as well as in private practice.  Additionally, family practice environments hire FNPs who are also Mental Health Certified to see both sets of patients.
 In an inpatient setting, PNHNP-BC’s, benefit from experience in Medical Surgical, hospitalist or urgent care environments.  Job opportunities exist in a psychiatric only units, hospital wide psychiatric evaluation, treatment or referral, and staff education, as well as in emergency departments.

In emergency departments, Mental Health NPs evaluate and refer psychiatric patients.  However, with cutbacks in social services, many times patients stay in the emergency department for a longer period of time; as a result, NPs may also treat other medical conditions such as heart disease and diabetes.   A background in chronic care disease management becomes essential for these opportunities.

Pediatric Nurse Practitioner, Psychiatry - Cincinnati, OH

Nurse Practitioner, Adult Emergency Psychiatry - Durham, NC

Eligibility Criteria provided by ANCC:
Hold a current, active RN license in a state or territory of the United States or hold the professional, legally recognized equivalent in another country.

Hold a master's, postgraduate, or doctoral degree from a family (or adult)  psychiatric–mental health nurse practitioner program accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) or the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) (formerly NLNAC | National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission).  A minimum of 500 faculty-supervised clinical hours must be included in your nurse practitioner program.

Three separate, comprehensive graduate-level courses in:
•Advanced physiology/pathophysiology, including general principles that apply across the life span
•Advanced health assessment, which includes assessment of all human systems, advanced assessment techniques, concepts, and approaches
•Advanced pharmacology, which includes pharmacodynamics, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacotherapeutics of all broad categories of agents

Content in:
•Health promotion and/or maintenance
•Differential diagnosis and disease management, including the use and prescription of pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic interventions

AND clinical training in at least two psychotherapeutic treatment modalities.

For more information on criteria for obtaining your Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner-Board Certified or PMHNP – BC visit www.nursecredentialing.org.

To inquire about these jobs visit Melnic Consulting Group or contact: Jill Gilliland 800-886-7906 jill@melnic.com