Healthcare Practitioners
Advanced Practice Psychiatric Nurses
Also called: Adult Psychiatric Mental Health APRN (Adult Psychiatric Mental Health Advanced Practice Registered Nurse), Advanced Practice Psychiatric Nurse, APN (Advanced Practice Nurse), Board Certified Psychiatric Mental Health Clinical Nurse Specialist (BC PMH-CNS)
US median pay
$97,550
per year, 2025
Job growth 2025–35
+5.6%
faster than average
Openings a year (US)
180,800
3,465,400 employed
Typical entry education
Bachelor's degree
Preparation 5/5 · Extensive preparation
What this job is
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.
What they do day to day
- Assess patients' mental and physical status, based on the presenting symptoms and complaints.
- Diagnose psychiatric disorders and mental health conditions.
- Document patients' medical and psychological histories, physical assessment results, diagnoses, treatment plans, prescriptions, or outcomes.
- Educate patients and family members about mental health and medical conditions, preventive health measures, medications, or treatment plans.
- Write prescriptions for psychotropic medications as allowed by state regulations and collaborative practice agreements.
- Monitor patients' medication usage and results.
- Evaluate patients' behavior to formulate diagnoses or assess treatments.
- Distinguish between physiologically- and psychologically-based disorders, and diagnose appropriately.
- Develop and implement treatment plans.
- Conduct individual, group, or family psychotherapy for those with chronic or acute mental disorders.
Skills and knowledge that matter most
Skills
- Social Perceptiveness4.2/5
- Time Management4.0/5
- Judgment and Decision Making4.0/5
- Complex Problem Solving3.9/5
- Service Orientation3.8/5
- Instructing3.8/5
- Coordination3.8/5
- Persuasion3.6/5
Knowledge
- Psychology5.0/5
- Therapy and Counseling4.7/5
- English Language4.6/5
- Medicine and Dentistry4.5/5
- Biology4.3/5
- Sociology and Anthropology4.1/5
Importance rated by people working in the job (1 = not important, 5 = extremely important).
Education and preparation
Preparation level 5 of 5 — Extensive preparation. Usually a graduate degree (master's, PhD, MD, JD) and extensive experience.
Typical entry education (BLS): Bachelor's degree.
Highest education of people in this job:
- Master's degree87%
Who this job suits
Mostly Social
Helping, teaching and caring for people
Investigative
Ideas, research and solving problems
Conventional
Organising data, details and procedures
Based on the Holland (RIASEC) interest profile for this occupation.