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29-1141.02 - Advanced Practice Psychiatric Nurses


Assess, diagnose, and treat individuals and families with mental health or substance use disorders or the potential for such disorders. Apply therapeutic activities, including the prescription of medication, per state regulations, and the administration of psychotherapy.


Key Facts
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Bright Outlook
1
Career Details
Green Job
Career Details
Current Employment
2,751,000
Estimate
Forecasted Employment
3,190,300
Estimate
Change in Employment
+439,300
Estimate
Change in Employment %
+16%
Estimate
Tasks
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Tasks
The tasks listed below can be performed to prepare you for a career in this field.
Core
  • Teach classes in mental health topics, such as stress reduction.
  • Participate in activities aimed at professional growth and development, including conferences or continuing education activities.
  • Monitor the use and status of medical and pharmaceutical supplies.
  • Develop practice protocols for mental health problems, based on review and evaluation of published research.
  • Develop, implement, or evaluate programs such as outreach activities, community mental health programs, and crisis situation response activities.
  • Write prescriptions for psychotropic medications as allowed by state regulations and collaborative practice agreements.
  • Refer patients requiring more specialized or complex treatment to psychiatrists, primary care physicians, or other medical specialists.
  • Participate in treatment team conferences regarding diagnosis or treatment of difficult cases.
  • Interpret diagnostic or laboratory tests, such as electrocardiograms (EKGs) and renal functioning tests.
  • Evaluate patients' behavior to formulate diagnoses or assess treatments.
  • Develop and implement treatment plans.
  • Monitor patients' medication usage and results.
  • Educate patients and family members about mental health and medical conditions, preventive health measures, medications, or treatment plans.
  • Distinguish between physiologically- and psychologically-based disorders, and diagnose appropriately.
  • Document patients' medical and psychological histories, physical assessment results, diagnoses, treatment plans, prescriptions, or outcomes.
  • Consult with psychiatrists or other professionals when unusual or complex cases are encountered.
  • Assess patients' mental and physical status, based on the presenting symptoms and complaints.
  • Collaborate with interdisciplinary team members, including psychiatrists, psychologists, or nursing staff, to develop, implement, or evaluate treatment plans.
  • Administer medications, including those administered by injection.
  • Diagnose psychiatric disorders and mental health conditions.
  • Conduct individual, group, or family psychotherapy for those with chronic or acute mental disorders.
Supplemental
  • Direct or provide home health services.
  • Treat patients for routine physical health problems.
  • Provide routine physical health screenings to detect or monitor problems such as heart disease and diabetes.
All data sourced from US Department of Labor, Employment & Training Administration O*Net Database.
Knowledge
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Knowledge

The items listed below are organized into sections that contain knowledge useful for pursuing a career in this field. Each section also contains a "Percentage of Importance" statistic that shows how relevant an item is to the occupation.
 Therapy and Counseling
  • 99%
    Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.
 Psychology
  • 98%
    Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
 English Language
  • 90%
    Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
 Medicine and Dentistry
  • 85%
    Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
 Education and Training
  • 81%
    Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
 Customer and Personal Service
  • 79%
    Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
 Sociology and Anthropology
  • 79%
    Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures and their history and origins.
 Biology
  • 77%
    Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
 Law and Government
  • 64%
    Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
 Philosophy and Theology
  • 64%
    Knowledge of different philosophical systems and religions. This includes their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and their impact on human culture.
 Administration and Management
  • 63%
    Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
 Public Safety and Security
  • 61%
    Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
 Computers and Electronics
  • 60%
    Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
 Clerical
  • 59%
    Knowledge of administrative and clerical procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office procedures and terminology.
 Chemistry
  • 59%
    Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.
 Mathematics
  • 58%
    Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
 Personnel and Human Resources
  • 57%
    Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.
 Communications and Media
  • 51%
    Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
All data sourced from US Department of Labor, Employment & Training Administration O*Net Database.
Tools
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Tools
The tools listed below include machines, equipment, tools, and software that is useful for individuals who are interested in this career.
 Viewing and observing instruments and accessories
  • Binocular light compound microscopes
 Blood pressure units and related products
  • Blood pressure cuffs
  • Sphygmomanometers
 Intravenous and arterial cannulas and catheters and accessories
  • Catheters
 Electrocardiography EKG units and related products
  • Electrocardiogram
 Temperature and heat measuring instruments
  • Handheld thermometers
 Injection and aspiration needles and accessories
  • Hypodermic needles
 Intravenous infusion pumps and its analyzers and sensors and its accessories
  • Intravenous IV pumps
 Duplicating machines
  • Laser facsimile machines
  • Photocopiers
 Harness goods
  • Mechanical restraints
 Stethoscopes and related products
  • Mechanical stethoscopes
 Medication dispensing and measuring devices and supplies
  • Medication administration systems
 Respiratory humidity and aerosol therapy products
  • Nebulizers
 Computers
  • Personal computers
 Electrotherapy equipment
  • Transcutaneous electric nerve stimulation TENS equipment
All data sourced from US Department of Labor, Employment & Training Administration O*Net Database.
Technology
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Technology
The technologies listed below include machines, equipment, tools, and software that is useful for individuals who are interested in this career.
 Industry specific software
  • AUDIT-C
  • Beck Anxiety Inventory
  • Beck Depression Inventory
  • Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale BPRS Nursing Modification
  • California Verbal Learning Test
  • Category Fluency Test
  • Children's Depression Inventory
  • Controlled Oral Word Association Task
  • Electroconvulsive therapy equipment
  • Epic HER
  • Geriatric Depression Scale
  • Hendrich Falls Risk Model
  • Medical condition coding softwareHOT
  • Millon Behavioral Medicine Diagnostic
  • Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 MMPI-2
  • Myers Briggs Type Indicator
  • NEO PI
  • Patient Health Questionaire
  • SASHOT
  • Young Mania Rating Scale
  • Zung Depression Rating Scale
 Data management and query software
  • Invivo Data EPX ePRO Management System
  • Microsoft AccessHOT
 Content authoring and editing software
  • Microsoft ExcelHOT
All data sourced from US Department of Labor, Employment & Training Administration O*Net Database.
Certifications
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Certifications
The certifications listed below are useful to pursue if you are interested in a career in this field.
 Specialty
 Advanced
 Core
All data sourced from US Department of Labor, Employment & Training Administration O*Net Database.
Licensing
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Licensing
The licensing information below is organized into sections and is useful for pursuing if you are interested in a career in this field.
No specific licensing information is listed for this occupation in the area you have selected.
All data sourced from US Department of Labor, Employment & Training Administration O*Net Database.
Related Programs
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Online Programs related to this career, offered by participating institution(s), are listed below.

Clicking on the Degree programs in the list below will take you away from the Careers page.
INSTITUTION
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Central Virginia Community College
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Piedmont Virginia Community College
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Rappahannock Community College
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Southside Virginia Community College
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