Background: Further exploration of the practice roles of psychiatric mental health (PMH) advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) is warranted.
Objective: In March of 2016, the American Psychiatric Nurses Association (APNA) conducted a national survey to gather data on the demographics, practice roles, and activities of certified PMH APRNs.
Design: The e-mail survey contained 46 questions consistent with minimum data set requirements of the Forum of State Nursing Workforce Centers.
Results: The data indicate that PMH APRNs are a clinically active workforce; the majority deliver a wide variety of mental health services including diagnosis and management of both acute and chronic mental illness, prescribing, and providing psychotherapy.
Conclusion: PMH APRNs are delivering care to clients dealing with a range of serious mental illnesses across the life span in a variety of roles. It will be critical to monitor the activities and outcomes of this expanding behavioral health care workforce.
Keywords: PMH APRN practice; advanced practice psychiatric nursing; psychiatric nursing practice.