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2025 State of the Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing Workforce

This new report provides a snapshot of the psychiatric-mental health nursing workforce: its size, scope, and contributions to mental health care.

“The core of any national effort to address the shortage of mental health professionals … must be an expansion of the PMH nursing workforce to practice within the full scope and authority of their education and training in all states.” (page 6).

Download the Full Report

Why this Report Matters

Psychiatric-mental health nurses are the second-largest group of mental health professionals in the U.S., yet are often under-recognized in workforce planning. This 2025 APNA State of the Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing Workforce report, which supplements the APNA Workforce Reports, equips nurses, organizations, and policymakers with key trends and data to:

Track PMHRN, PMHNP, & PMHCNS growth and distribution
Highlight innovative trends in PMH nursing that close gaps in care
Support advocacy for full scope and visibility

Key Trends

Psychiatric-mental health nurses are filling critical gaps by increasing access and decreasing barriers to care.

PMH-APRNs serve as a vital resource for the growing needs of substance use disorder treatment.

By tailoring care to the unique needs of their communities, PMH nurses are leading the expansion and restructuring of services.

These key trends are supported by:

A Growing Workforce

104,220 PMH-RNs
55,520 PMH-APRNs (52,176 PMHNPs; 3,344 PMHCNSs)

Telehealth Expansion

41% of PMH-RNs provide telehealth (often to rural communities)
85% of PMH-APRNs provide telehealth, averaging patients in 2+ states

Shifts in Care Settings

PMH-RNs are increasingly active in community care, not just hospitals
The majority of PMH-APRNs now practice in outpatient settings, including private practice

Expanding Evidence-Based Services

A growing number of PMH-APRNs now practice in substance use treatment and are trained to provide buprenorphine treatment for opioid use disorders
PMH-RNs in community settings permitted to use their full skillset improve access, care coordination, and symptom management

Accepting Insurance

Nearly 70% of PMH-APRNs report most patients use insurance
PMH-APRNs are offsetting shortages in Medicare by providing 1 in 3 mental health prescriber visits

Questions? Here are a few answers…

How do I use this report?

Use this report to help ensure PMH nurses are fully recognized, utilized, and supported in providing mental health care. If you’re a…

Nurse: Use the information to support your full scope of practice, inspire others to go into psychiatric-mental health, and highlight opportunities for mentorship and professional growth.
Policymaker: Leverage the data to guide resource allocation, expand access in underserved areas, and inform policy decisions.
Mental Health Advocate: Share the findings to increase visibility and elevate PMH nursing’s role in national workforce discussions.
Researcher: Use the trends to identify gaps, evaluate outcomes, and strengthen evidence for the value of PMH nurses across care settings.

Where do the numbers come from?

Data points were drawn from the APNA Workforce Survey and national datasets, including HRSA and ANCC certification data. Full references are listed on page 7 of the report. Psychiatric-mental health nursing workforce experts Kathleen R. Delaney, PhD, APRN, PMH-NP, FAAN; Angela M. Gerolamo, PhD, CRNP, PMHNP-BC; and Matthew Tierney, MS, CNS, ANP, PMHNP, CARN-AP, FAAN helped to identify and vet the content of the report.