Life as a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner: What to Expect
Published on: April 14, 2022
Mental health care is one of the fastest-growing areas of healthcare, and PMHNPs are increasingly central to meeting that demand. If you're exploring this career path, here's a direct look at what the work involves: the day-to-day realities, the challenges, the rewards and what it takes to get there.
Explore Online DegreesWhat Is a PMHNP?
A PMHNP is a professional who is responsible for diagnosing and treating mental health issues. PMHNPs offer physical and psychosocial assessments, therapy, prescriptions, emergency psychiatric care and other services. The exact responsibilities a PMHNP will have on a daily basis depend on the nature of the specific position. However, these professionals may work in either an inpatient or outpatient setting. Positions in both private practice and hospitals are available. PMHNPs may work traditional hours, or they may work nights and weekends. On-call hours are common in inpatient settings.
PMHNPs treat individuals of all ages. They may work with patients who have a wide variety of psychiatric conditions, from anxiety disorders to schizophrenia. In addition to assessing and treating patients, PMHNPs may also offer preventative or educational services.
PMHNP Duties: What a Typical Day Looks Like
A PMHNP's day varies significantly depending on the care setting. In an outpatient clinic, a typical day might begin with reviewing patient charts and lab results before back-to-back appointments covering new patient intakes, medication management and follow-up visits. In inpatient settings, daily responsibilities often include clinical rounds, crisis assessments and coordination with interdisciplinary care teams.
Across settings, common duties include:
- Reviewing patient charts before sessions
- Going over lab results
- Taking vitals
- Performing comprehensive mental health evaluations on new patients
- Diagnosing mental health conditions
- Recommending treatment options, including therapy, counseling and medication
- Reviewing patient medications and recommending modifications
- Documenting patient progress and updating charts
What Is the Difference Between a PMHNP and a Psychiatrist?
Psychiatric mental health nurse practitioners and psychiatrists have similar responsibilities. Both types of professionals assess patients, diagnose psychiatric conditions and make treatment recommendations. Both PMHNPs and psychiatrists can also prescribe medication and conduct counseling or therapy sessions. However, there are some key differences between these two professions. Some of these differences include:
- Credentials: Psychiatrists hold a Doctor of Medicine (MD) or Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO). PMHNPs hold a master's or doctoral degree in nursing.
- Education: Psychiatrists complete four years of medical school followed by three to seven years of psychiatric residency. PMHNPs complete a graduate nursing program with clinical hours focused on psychiatric care.
- Licensure and Certification: Both PMHNPs and psychiatrists are licensed by the state, but PMHNPs have a nurse practitioner’s license, while psychiatrists are licensed as medical doctors. Both PMHNPs and psychiatrists can also pursue certifications, but they will be certified by different organizations.
- Salary: In general, psychiatrists earn a higher salary than PMHNPs regardless of their employer or specific position.
What Challenges Do PMHNPs Face on the Job?
Like all professionals in the medical field, PMHNPs face a number of challenges in their jobs. Some of the challenges you may face as a professional working in this field include:
- Limited staffing - Many medical facilities are operating with fewer staff members than they need to operate efficiently and effectively. As a result, PMHNPs may carry a heavy caseload that can be stressful and overwhelming. PMHNPs may also be required to work long hours because of problems with staffing.
- Patient no-shows - PMHNPs deal with a significant number of patient no-shows. To combat this, many clinics purposefully double-book appointment times. Unfortunately, when patients do show up, this can lead to a longer, more complicated schedule.
- Diagnostic complexity: Many mental health conditions share overlapping symptoms, making accurate diagnosis and treatment recommendations more difficult.
- Burnout: All workers in the mental health field are at risk of burnout, which can occur when PMHNPs work excessive hours or absorb significant emotional strain from their patient caseload.
Benefits of Being a PMHNP
In spite of the challenges PMHNPs face, there are also many rewards and benefits that come with a job in this field. Some of the positive aspects of this career include:
High-Impact Work
PMHNPs fill a well-documented national shortage of psychiatric providers, often serving as the primary mental health care option for patients in their communities. The role goes beyond diagnosis to include ongoing support, medication management and monitoring for escalating risks.
Career Growth
As PMHNPs gain experience, opportunities open up in leadership, supervision and specialized practice. Continuing education keeps skills current in a field that continues to evolve.
Salary and Benefits
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual wage for nurse practitioners was $132,050 as of May 2024, with the top 10% earning more than $217,270. Most full-time positions include paid time off, health insurance and retirement benefits.
Telehealth and the Evolving Role of the PMHNP
Telehealth has permanently reshaped how psychiatric care is delivered, and PMHNPs are at the center of that shift. Many outpatient PMHNPs now conduct a significant portion of their appointments via video, an arrangement that has expanded access to mental health care, particularly in rural and underserved areas where in-person psychiatric services are scarce.
For PMHNPs, this means building proficiency with digital health platforms alongside traditional clinical skills. It also introduces new practice considerations, including managing patient emergencies remotely, navigating state-level telehealth regulations and maintaining therapeutic rapport in a virtual environment.
Telehealth is no longer a workaround. It is a permanent and growing part of psychiatric practice.
What Does It Take To Become a PMHNP?
In order to thrive as a PMHNP, you need to possess certain skills and characteristics. You will also need to complete specific educational and licensure requirements before you can begin working in the field.
PMHNP Skills
To perform this role effectively, PMHNPs need:
- Recognizing the symptoms of common psychiatric conditions and illnesses.
- Determining which treatments are most appropriate for each individual patient.
- Providing psychotherapy to individuals, groups and families.
- Knowledge of various psychiatric medications, as well as the ability to determine which medication is appropriate for various patients.
- Interpersonal skills that allow for healthy communication with other healthcare professionals, as well as positive relationships with patients and their families.
- Good communication skills, as well as the ability to provide educational services to patients and family members when necessary.
- Excellent organizational and time management skills.
While some of the skills you will need to perform your job well will be developed during your training program or on the job, others are skills you may possess before you enroll in school.
PMHNP Education Requirements
PMHNPs must complete specific educational requirements, as well as obtain licensure from the state. In order to become a PMHNP, the minimum degree requirement is a Master of Science in Nursing. This means that you must already have an initial nursing degree, such as a bachelor’s degree, before beginning your program to become a PMHNP.
The goal of a master’s program is to help you develop the skills and knowledge base you need to fulfill your responsibilities as a PMHNP. In this program, you will study all the different subjects you need for this career path, such as pharmacology, physiology, assessments and diagnosis.
Learn More About Husson University's Online PMHNP Program
Husson University is proud to offer an online program for students interested in a career as a PMHNP. Husson’s Master of Science in Nursing - Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner program has a strong record of success, with 95 percent of students passing national certification exams upon completion of the program. This program requires students to complete a total of 51 credit hours of study and offers 24/7 online access to all course materials. The standard Master of Science program takes most students 30 months to complete. However, a 24-month accelerated program track is available for students who want to complete the program faster.
The core curriculum for this program includes a variety of classes that will help you prepare for your career. Examples of classes you will complete in this program include:
- Advanced pathophysiology
- Advanced health assessment
- Pharmacotherapeutics
- Advanced nursing practice
- Public health policy issues
- Evidence-based practice
- Healthcare informatics and technology
- Family psychiatric nursing
If you are interested in pursuing a career as a psychiatric nurse practitioner, please contact Husson University today to learn more about this online program.
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Sources
https://nursejournal.org/careers/psychiatric-nurse/psychiatric-np-vs-psychiatrist/
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