Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner vs. Psychiatrist
Mental health challenges affect millions of people in the United States, with nearly one in five adults experiencing mental health issues every year. Without proper care and support, mental illness can be debilitating, making access to quality mental healthcare an essential element of our healthcare system.
Providing professional care to patients with mental health issues requires an advanced education and specialized certifications, such as a doctorate degree or post-master’s certificate in psychiatric mental health nursing. Those interested in this career path may benefit from learning more about the differences between a psychiatric nurse practitioner vs. a psychiatrist and what it takes to become a qualified practitioner.
What Is a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner?
Psychiatric mental health nurse practitioners (PMHNPs) are licensed and board-certified advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) who specialize in providing mental healthcare. During their education as nurse practitioners (NPs), advanced practice nurses have the opportunity to choose between a variety of NP specialties, ranging from pediatric care to acute care or, in the case of PMHNPs, mental healthcare.
After learning this, you may be wondering what exactly a psychiatric nurse practitioner does. Along with the ability to perform physical evaluations, this specialty qualifies them to:
- Evaluate, diagnose and treat psychiatric and mental health conditions
- Work with individuals, families and groups
- Perform psychotherapy
- Prescribe medication
- Coordinate care with other healthcare professionals
- Intervene for those experiencing a health/behavioral health crisis
How to Become a PMHNP
Becoming a PMHNP can be a fulfilling and rewarding way to advance your career. If you are interested in behavioral healthcare and want to become a PMHNP, you'll need the right preparation and education.
Requirements
To start the path to becoming a PMHNP, a candidate must have both:
- An active registered nurse (RN) license
- A master of science in nursing degree (MSN) or Doctor of Nursing practice degree (DNP)
For RNs who hold an associate's degree, you'll need to earn a bachelor's in nursing (BSN) before pursuing an advanced degree (or in tandem with a reputable RN-MSN bridge program).
After you earn your MSN with a PMHNP concentration, the next step will be to gain licensure through a credentialing body and the state(s) in which you hope to work.
Depending on where psychiatric nurse practitioners work, they may encounter different illnesses, the severity of cases, patient age groups or chronic versus acute care. Some of the facilities PMHNPs may find themselves in include:
- Mental health clinics
- Hospitals
- Private practice
- General and psychiatric hospitals
- Community agencies
- Courts and prisons
- Long-term care facilities
- Rehabilitation programs
What is a Psychiatrist?
Psychiatrists are medical doctors who specialize in the field of mental healthcare. Tasked with providing preventive care as well as diagnosing, treating and managing the care of patients who suffer from mental illness, psychiatrists are instrumental to the health and overall productivity of individuals across society.
Requiring the completion of a bachelor’s degree, medical school and a clinical psychiatric residency program, the journey to becoming a psychiatrist is a significant commitment that typically takes 12 years. Psychiatrists are certified as medical doctors (MDs) or Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine (DOs). By passing the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE®) and the certifications required by their state, they can provide much-needed, life-saving care to their patients.
What Does a Psychiatrist Do?
The care that psychiatrists provide is a combination of empathetic communication and treatments based on advanced knowledge of medical science. Because they diagnose, treat and deliver care plans often including the prescription of psychotropic medications, the care they provide is critical, complex and closely regulated. With nearly one in 20 Americans suffering from severe mental illness, the decisions that psychiatrists make can have a long-lasting impact on the lives of their patients.
On a day-to-day basis, psychiatrists may provide services including:
- Patient assessment and diagnosis
- Ordering and interpreting tests
- Providing counseling and care programming
- Prescribing medications
- Administering medications or supervising other medical professionals in the provision of care
- Monitoring patient progress
- Providing emergency medical treatment
- Imparting mental healthcare education
While more than half of psychiatrists are in private practice, many work in a variety of healthcare settings and often find themselves providing highly specialized care. Some of these settings include:
- Psychiatric and general hospitals
- Nursing homes and clinics
- Military settings
- Community health centers and outpatient clinics
- Government agencies, courts and prisons
Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner vs. Psychiatrist: Similarities and Differences
Once we have become familiar with the roles, we can start to answer the question: what are the key differences between a psychiatric nurse practitioner vs a psychiatrist? Due to the complex nature of mental healthcare, treating and supporting patients with mental illness can be both challenging and incredibly rewarding, as it requires one to draw almost daily on extensive training, experience and knowledge.
Understanding how these challenges and rewards play out for the psychiatric nurse practitioner vs. psychiatrist roles may help prospective students choose which path is right for them.
What Makes a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner and Psychiatrist Similar?
Many of the day-to-day responsibilities of a psychiatric nurse practitioner and a psychiatrist are the same. Both are highly qualified practitioners who specialize in mental healthcare, and both will handle many of the same illnesses, patient requirements and daily tasks.
Applying in-depth knowledge of human behavior and mental health conditions, both PMHNPs and psychiatrists diagnose, treat and prescribe medications or treatment plans to patients suffering from mental illness. These tasks require both groups of professionals to be strong communicators, treating their patients with empathy and understanding. Additionally, both roles have the opportunity to fight the stigma that is often attached to mental illness, by providing valuable services, education and resources to their communities.
What Makes a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner and Psychiatrist Different?
One of the main differences between psychiatric nurse practitioners and psychiatrists is the educational path for each role. PMHNPs typically need an undergraduate education to become RNs. They also need a graduate education — this could mean a master’s, a doctoral degree or a post-master's certificate. They also usually have several years of work experience. This may take around 6-8 years, depending on the educational path.
Psychiatrists, on the other hand, need to complete an undergraduate degree, take the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) and earn a doctor of medicine (M.D.) or a doctor of osteopathic medicine (D.O.). They must then complete their residency training and fellowship before applying for their medical license and relevant certification. This education and training can take about 12 years to complete.
Another difference between these two roles is their approach to care. While PMHNPs can prescribe medication in states with full practice authority, they tend to take a less pharmacological approach than a psychiatrist. Instead, they focus on holistic care and counseling approaches, building strong relationships with their patients.
The rules that govern professional practice vary from state to state, and this impacts the difference between psychiatric nurse practitioners vs. psychiatrists. State practice authority laws regulate which care services NPs are legally allowed to provide, dictating whether PMHNPs are qualified to work under Restricted Practice regulations, Reduced Practice regulations or Full Practice Authority.
In full practice authority states, qualified PMHNPs can provide comprehensive evaluation services to patients, including the ordering and analysis of tests, diagnosis of medical conditions and the prescription of medications and controlled substances. In states that do not allow full practice authority, PMHNPs may be required to be supervised by a psychiatrist or other medical doctor to provide these care services.
Make a Positive Difference With a Nursing Career in Psychiatric Care
Mental health practitioners provide essential and life-saving care every day, and there is a growing need for skilled mental health practitioners across the country. Able to administer a broad spectrum of care and services to their patients, PMHNPs play an essential role in our hospitals, improving access to mental healthcare in many regions and changing the way we think about mental illness.
If you are passionate about both mental healthcare and the nursing practice, pursuing a higher education — such as the Post-Master’s Nursing Certificate for Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioners from Spring Arbor University — can be a key step in reaching your personal and professional goals. Accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), the program from Spring Arbor University is faith-based with a flexible schedule designed for working nurses.
Recommended Readings:
Top Nursing Team Building Strategies
Self-care for Nurses: How to Prioritize Yourself When Caring for Others
Sources:
American Association of Nurse Practitioners, State Practice Environment
American Psychiatric Association, Choosing a Career in Psychiatry
American Psychiatric Association, What is Psychiatry?
American Psychiatric Nurses Association, “About Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing”
Incredible Health, “Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner vs. Psychiatrist: What’s the Difference?"
Indeed, “5 Steps to Become a Psychiatrist”
Indeed, “How to Become a Psychiatrist (With Salary, Skills and FAQs)”
Indeed, “Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner vs. Psychiatrist”
National Alliance on Mental Illness, Mental Health By the Numbers
National Institute of Mental Health, Mental Health Information
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Nurse Anesthetists, Nurse Midwives, and Nurse Practitioners
