After completing the program of choice, the National Council Licensure Examination for a Registered Nurse (NCLEX-RN) must be taken and passed before becoming an RN.
[5] A Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner degree requires two to five additional years of training.
Master's entry programs typically integrate basic nursing coursework with graduate-level PMHNP studies, taking three to four years to complete.
Attentiveness is a very important characteristic because a PMHNP needs to be able to clearly and fully listen to what their patient is saying and what their report is showing.
Along with attentiveness, a PMHNP should not make any assumptions, for it may tunnel their vision when it is crucial to have an open mind with different diagnoses that may be possible.
[14] The military sub-specialty deals with the diagnosis and treatment of many military-related mental health issues, such as PTSD.
Child and adolescent psychiatry sub-specialty deals with diagnosing and treating many behavioral mental disorders found in children, such as ADHD.
The geriatric psychiatry sub-specialty focuses on dealing with mental illness found in older adults in the late adulthood period.
[12] Psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioners are able to assess, diagnose, treat, and improve a wide range of mental disorders.
[16] Throughout the United States, there has been a significant rise in mental health issues, and some are recently related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Throughout the pandemic, there were high reports of loneliness and financial instability that led to symptoms of depression and anxiety.
[16] Due to this rise in mental illness throughout the United States, psychiatric-mental health practitioners are in need now more than ever.
[16] Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, there were already rising numbers of mental health issues seen in adults and youth in the United States.
[17] Along with an increase in mental health issues, the rate of suicide ideation among adults has been rising, and it especially peaked during the COVID-19 pandemic.
[17] With the rise of mental health issues found in adults and youth in the United States, PMHNPs are eagerly needed.
Most adults and youth who deal with mental issues do not seek help, and this is particularly because it takes weeks, or even months, before individuals can be seen by a PMHNP.
[17] There is a huge labor shortage of PMHNPs that needs to be filled now because of the drastic increase in mental health issues in the United States.