Olayinka Osinloye, FNP-C, PMHNP
What is a psychiatric nurse practitioner?
A Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) is trained to care for patients with mental health issues across the lifespan. PMHNPs are qualified in assessment, diagnosis, planning, and evaluation, often providing many of the same services as medical doctors.
Olayinka Osinloye Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner
Typical daily tasks of a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner
- Diagnosing patients for mental disorders, as well as being able to differentiate if a patient is experiencing a psychological or physical-based disorder
- Documenting a patient’s past history and evaluating how that may have led to a mental disorder, such as family genetic history or past trauma
- Laying out a mental health treatment plan for recovery, including taking medication and attending counseling
- Prescribing medication and making sure a patient keeps up with their daily medication schedule
- Monitoring the effectiveness of a patient’s treatment plan
- Collaborating with a patient’s health team to potentially modify their care plan
Weekly or monthly tasks of a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner
- Most Nurse Practitioners have already done rotations of multiple placements in MH facilities and have extensive experience in the MH field
- They are under the supervision of the practice Medical Director
- Usually, they have more availability for scheduling appointments
- They are required to provide a thorough psychiatric assessment and utilize a variety of assessment tools to complete this process
- They can get reimbursed from insurance companies just as a physician can