PMHNP track competencies

PMHNP track information

Upon completion and graduation from the program, PMHNP students should meet the following core competencies in addition to the population-specific competencies. Students are evaluated throughout the program by preceptors and clinical faculty to measure a student's progress toward beginning competent practice.

The PMHNP focuses on individuals across the lifespan (infancy through old age), families, and populations across the lifespan at risk for developing and/or having a diagnosis of psychiatric disorders or mental health problems. The PHMNP provides primary mental health care to patients seeking mental health services in a wide range of settings. Primary mental health care provided by the PMHNP involves relationship-based, continuous, and comprehensive services necessary for the promotion of optimal mental health, prevention, and treatment of psychiatric disorders and health maintenance. This includes assessment, diagnosis, and management of mental health and psychiatric disorders across the lifespan.

Scientific Foundation
1. Critically analyzes data and evidence for improving advanced nursing practice.
2. Integrates knowledge from the humanities and sciences within the context of nursing science.
3. Translates research and other forms of knowledge to improve practice processes and outcomes.
4. Develops new practice approaches based on the integration of research, theory, and practice knowledge.
Leadership
1. Assumes complex and advanced leadership roles to initiate and guide change.
2. Provides leadership to foster collaboration with multiple stakeholders (e.g., patients, community, integrated healthcare teams, and policy makers) to improve health care.
3. Demonstrates leadership that uses critical and reflective thinking.
4. Advocates for improved access, quality, and cost-effective health care.
5. Advances practice through the development and implementation of innovations incorporating principles of change.
6. Communicates practice knowledge effectively, both orally and in writing.
7. Participates in professional organizations and activities that influence advanced practice nursing and/or health outcomes of a population focus.
Quality
1. Uses best available evidence for continuous quality improvement of clinical practice.
2. Evaluates the relationships among access, cost, quality, and safety and their influence on health care.
3. Evaluates how organizational structure, care processes, financing, marketing, and policy decisions impact the quality of health care.
4. Applies skills in peer review to promote a culture of excellence.
5. Anticipates variations in practice and is proactive in implementing interventions to ensure quality.
Practice Inquiry
1. Provides leadership in the translation of new knowledge into practice.
2. Generates knowledge from clinical practice to improve practice and patient outcomes.
3. Applies clinical investigative skills to improve health outcomes.
4. Leads practice inquiry, individually or in partnership with others.
5. Disseminates evidence from inquiry to diverse audiences using multiple modalities.
6. Analyzes clinical guidelines for individualized application into practice.
Technology and Information Literacy
1. Integrates appropriate technologies for knowledge management to improve health care.
2. Translates technical and scientific health information appropriate for various users’ needs.
  1. Assesses the patient’s and caregiver’s educational needs to provide effective, personalized health care.
  2. Coaches the patient and caregiver for positive behavioral change.
3. Demonstrates information literacy skills in complex decision-making.
4. Contributes to the design of clinical information systems that promote safe, quality, and cost effective care.
5. Uses technology systems that capture data on variables for the evaluation of nursing care.
Policy
1. Demonstrates an understanding of the interdependence of policy and practice.
2. Advocates for ethical policies that promote access, equity, quality, and cost.
3. Analyzes ethical, legal, and social factors influencing policy development.
4. Contributes in the development of health policy.
5. Analyzes the implications of health policy across disciplines.
6. Evaluates the impact of globalization on healthcare policy development.
7. Advocates for policies for safe and healthy practice environments.
Health Delivery Systems
1. Applies knowledge of organizational practices and complex systems to improve healthcare delivery.
2. Effects healthcare change using broad-based skills including negotiating, consensus-building, and partnering.
3. Minimizes risk to patients and providers at the individual and systems level.
4. Facilitates the development of healthcare systems that address the needs of culturally diverse populations, providers, and other stakeholders.
5. Evaluates the impact of healthcare delivery on patients, providers, other stakeholders, and the environment.
6. Analyzes organizational structure, functions, and resources to improve the delivery of care.
7. Collaborates in planning for transitions across the continuum of care.
Ethics
1. Integrates ethical principles in decision-making.
2. Evaluates the ethical consequences of decisions.
3. Applies ethically sound solutions to complex issues related to individuals, populations, and systems of care.
Independent Practice
1. Functions as a licensed independent practitioner.
2. Demonstrates the highest level of accountability for professional practice.
3. Practices independently managing previously diagnosed and undiagnosed patients.
  1. Provides the full spectrum of healthcare services to include health promotion, disease prevention, health protection, anticipatory guidance, counseling, disease management, palliative, and end-of-life care.
  2. Uses advanced health assessment skills to differentiate between normal, variations of normal, and abnormal findings.
  3. Employs screening and diagnostic strategies in the development of diagnoses.
  4. Prescribes medications within scope of practice.
  5. Manages the health/illness status of patients and families over time.
4. Provides patient-centered care recognizing cultural diversity and the patient or designee as a full partner in decision-making.
  1. Works to establish a relationship with the patient characterized by mutual respect, empathy, and collaboration.
  2. Creates a climate of patient-centered care to include confidentiality, privacy, comfort, emotional support, mutual trust, and respect.
  3. Incorporates the patient’s cultural and spiritual preferences, values, and beliefs into health care.
  4. Preserves the patient’s control over decision-making by negotiating a mutually acceptable plan of care.
  5. Develops strategies to prevent one’s own personal biases from interfering with delivery of quality care.
  6. Addresses cultural, spiritual, and ethnic influences that potentially create conflict among individuals, families, staff, and caregivers.
5. Educates professional and lay caregivers to provide culturally and spiritually sensitive, appropriate care.
6. Collaborates with both professional and other caregivers to achieve optimal care outcomes.
7. Coordinates transitional care services in and across care settings.
8. Participates in the development, use, and evaluation of professional standards and evidence-based care.

Leadership

Participates in community and population-focused programs that promote mental health and prevent or reduce risk of mental health problems and psychiatric disorders.
Advocates for complex patient and family medicolegal rights and issues.
Collaborates with interprofessional colleagues about advocacy and policy issues at the local, state, and national levels related to reducing health disparities and improving clinical outcomes for populations with mental health problems and psychiatric disorders.

Quality

Evaluates the appropriate uses of seclusion and restraints in care processes.

Policy

Employs opportunities to influence health policy to reduce the impact of stigma on services for prevention and treatment of mental health problems and psychiatric disorders.

Independent Practice

The evaluation form is based on the following criteria.

Develops an age-appropriate treatment plan for mental health problems and psychiatric disorders based on biopsychosocial theories, evidence-based standards of care, and practice guidelines.
Includes differential diagnoses for mental health problems and psychiatric disorders.
Assesses impact of acute and chronic medical problems on psychiatric treatment.
Conducts individual and group psychotherapy.
Applies supportive, psychodynamic principles, cognitive–behavioral and other evidence-based psychotherapy/ies to both brief and long-term individual practice.
Applies recovery-oriented principles and trauma-focused care to individuals.
Demonstrates best practices of family approaches to care.
Plans care to minimize the development of complications and promote function and quality of life.
Treats acute and chronic psychiatric disorders and mental health problems.
Safely prescribes pharmacologic agents for patients with mental health problems and psychiatric disorders.
Ensures patient safety through the appropriate prescription and management of pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic interventions.
Explains the risks and benefits of treatment to the patient and the family.
Identifies the role of PMHNP in risk-mitigation strategies in the areas of opiate use and substance abuse clients.
Seeks consultation when appropriate to enhance one's own practice.
Uses self-reflective practice to improve care.
Provides consultation to healthcare providers and others to enhance quality and cost-effective services.
Guides the patient in evaluating the appropriate use of complementary and alternative therapies.
Uses individualized outcome measures to evaluate psychiatric care.
Manages psychiatric emergencies across all settings.
Refers patient apropriately.
Facilitates the transition of patients across levels of care.
Uses outcomes to evaluate care.
Attends to the patient–nurse practitioner relationship as a vehicle for therapeutic change.
Maintains a therapeutic relationship over time with individuals, groups, and families to promote positive clinical outcomes.
Therapeutically concludes the nurse–patient relationship transitioning the patient to other levels of care, when appropriate.
Demonstrates ability to address sexual/physical abuse, substance abuse, sexuality, and spiritual conflict across the lifespan.
Applies therapeutic relationship strategies based on theories and research evidence to reduce emotional distress, facilitate cognitive and behavioral change, and foster personal growth.
Applies principles of self-efficacy/empowerment and other self-management theories in promoting relationship development and behavior change.
Identifies and maintains professional boundaries to preserve the integrity of the therapeutic process.
Teaches patients, families, and groups about treatment options with respect to developmental, physiological, cognitive, cultural ability, and readiness.
Provides psychoeducation to individuals, families, and groups regarding mental health problems and psychiatric disorders.
Modifies treatment approaches based on the ability and readiness to learn.
Considers motivation and readiness to improve self-care and healthy behavior when teaching individuals, families, and groups of patients.
Documents appropriate use of seclusion and restraints.