Addressing Key Threats to Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Well-Being

Executive Summary

Rapid changes in health care have intensified pressures on clinicians. Provider well being is a persistent concern with consequences for workforce stability, quality, and safety.¹ Psychiatric–mental health (PMH) nurses are essential amid
record demand for mental health and substance use care; therefore, protecting their well being is both a workforce and patient care imperative.

Many of the threats to PMH nurse well-being are systemic and include: staffing levels and nurse-to-patient ratios, administrative burden, and workplace culture and ethical climate.^1,3 The unique demands of PMH nursing care (therapeutic use of self, exposure to trauma, settings) can further heighten burnout, moral distress, and secondary traumatic stress.² These threats to well-being can increase turnover, reduce clinical capacity through absenteeism, and elevate error risk and adverse patient outcomes.^{11, 12, 2, 3}

Ample evidence shows that organization‑level strategies are an essential complement to self-care. Existing frameworks (e.g. Caring Science, IHI Joy in Work, the Lorna Breen C4C approach, Just Culture, and VA Stress First Aid); as
well as coordinated programs (e.g., CopeColumbia; UC Davis Chief Wellness Officer model) show encouraging potential for broad positive impact.

Recommendations for Mental Health Care Organizations

• Make well‑being a strategic, accountable goal.^5,6
• Stabilize staffing and scheduling; monitor ratios.⁴
• Cut low‑value admin/EHR work to protect direct care.¹
• Build a safe, learning‑oriented culture and prevent violence.^11,3
• Normalize confidential mental health support and address stigma.^9,3

Sustaining a strong PMH nursing workforce requires systemic, organization‑level change that embeds well‑being into daily operations, which in turn will improve retention, ensure care quality, and expand access for the communities served.¹ ³ ⁴

Download the Full Report

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Questions? Here are a few answers…

How do I use this report?

This report is a practical resource for mental health care organizations, leaders, educators, and clinicians. Psychiatric-mental health nurses can leverage the information to advocate for systems change and provide a roadmap to help make it happen.

Here are sample email templates you can use to share the report with leadership.

Why is PMH nurse well-being important?

Rapid shifts in health care and increasing demand for mental health and substance use services have intensified pressures on the mental health system as a whole. Psychiatric-mental health nurses, whose practice incorporates therapeutic presence, compassion, and engagement, are delivering care amid complex clinical, emotional, and organizational pressures. When their well-being is compromised, the effects ripple across care access, organizational costs, and patient outcomes.

Why is PMH nurse well-being considered a systemic issue?

The APNA report makes clear that psychiatric-mental health nurse well-being is connected to quality care and access. The report examines how PMH nurse well-being is impacted by structural factors (e.g. staffing shortages, workload, workplace violence), as well as how this diminished well-being impacts mental health care systems. Strengthening the PMH nursing workforce, and therefore the entire mental health care system, requires organizational change, in addition to individual self-care.

Can I cite this report?

Yes! Please use the following citation:

American Psychiatric Nurses Association. (2025). Addressing Key Threats to PMH Nurse Well-Being. Retrieved from https://www.apna.org/news/addressing-key-threats-to-psychiatric-mental-health-nurse-well-being/

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Sample Email Templates

PMH NURSE WELL-BEING EMAIL TEMPLATE OPTION 1

Subject: Resource to Support Workforce Stability & Quality Outcomes

Dear [Administrator / Program Leadership, etc],

I am writing as a member of the American Psychiatric Nurses Association (APNA) to share a new report that highlights, through the lens of fostering PMH nurse well-being, evidence-informed recommendations that healthcare organizations can implement to support staff and strengthen patient care.

The APNA report provides practical, actionable recommendations for hospitals and mental health programs to consider in order to support safer, more effective patient care by fostering PMH nurse well-being. These recommendations emphasize systems-level adjustments that align with broader organizational goals around retention, workforce sustainability, and quality outcomes.

I wanted to ensure you had access to this resource, as I believe the insights and recommendations may be helpful in guiding ongoing and future efforts within [hospital/program name] to support our psychiatric-mental health nursing staff.

You can access the full report here.

I would welcome the opportunity to discuss any of the report’s findings or explore how we might integrate relevant recommendations into our environment. Thank you for your ongoing leadership and for your commitment to supporting the well-being of our clinical teams.

Warm regards,

[Your Contact Information]

PMH NURSE WELL-BEING EMAIL TEMPLATE OPTION 2

Subject: Resource to Support Workforce Stability & Quality Outcomes

Dear [Administrator / Program Leadership],

I know that sustaining a stable workforce, improving patient care quality, and managing operational pressures are top priorities for [hospital/program name]. With that in mind, I’m sharing a brief APNA report that outlines system-level factors affecting psychiatric-mental health (PMH) nurse well-being – factors that directly influence turnover, clinical capacity, and patient safety.

Through the lens of well-being, the report highlights how issues such as staffing ratios, administrative burden, and workplace culture contribute to burnout and absenteeism, with significant implications for care continuity and organizational costs. It also provides clear, evidence-informed recommendations for strengthening staffing, reducing low-value administrative work, and building supportive, learning-oriented environments—strategies that align closely with broader goals around retention, safety, and quality improvement.

I believe these insights may be helpful as you continue guiding efforts to support the PMH nursing workforce and ensure high-quality mental health care for our community.

You can access the full report here.

Warm regards,

[Your Contact Information]

Download these email templates as a word document

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Published December 2025