The role of the psychiatric nurse practitioner

Psychiatric Nurse Practitioners, primary mental health care providers in a role substitutive for that of the Psychiatrist, are becoming an integral part of the health care personnel workforce, yet there is little written of this role. The credentialing leading to this title is the Clinical Specialist in either Child and Adolescent or Adult Psychiatric Nursing, and there is much controversy regarding whether the Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner title is necessary or preferable. The title is regulatory and, consequently, is not consistently used from state to state. Whatever the title, advanced practice psychiatric nurses work in a variety of traditional and nontraditional settings and provide not only psychotherapy and psychopharmacology services but also assist consumers in managing their health care needs.