Introducing the APNA Scope & Standards of Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing Practice Council
The APNA Board has established this new council informed by member input! In response to an all-member survey, APNA members overwhelmingly shared support for this council and shared their thoughts on what it could be. This feedback led the Board to refine their concept of the council, ensuring that its purpose and structure align with member needs.
What will the APNA Scope & Standards of Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing Practice Council do?
In short, the council will support the application of the profession’s scope and standards of practice to support all PMH RNs and APRNs in delivering optimal care.
The council’s vision, goals, and charge further explain how the Board sees the council’s defined area of focus, its value, and its work:
Vision
The APNA Scope & Standards of PMH Nursing Practice Council will serve as an expert resource in applying the Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing: Scope & Standards of Practice to current practice settings, including: monitoring the clinical PMH nursing practice environment, reviewing future directions in nursing and psychiatric care, and bringing important issues to the board for consideration.
Goals
Grounded by the Scope and Standards of Practice for Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing, the council will:
- Cultivate a community of practicing RNs & APRNs to assist in expanding their colleagues’ understanding of the full breadth, depth, and variety of PMH nursing clinical practice in today’s environment.
- Work collaboratively to advance clinical application of the scope and standards of practice to support decision-making and optimal patient care.
- Review the PMH nursing direct care practice environment to inform the board of existing gaps in practice, emerging trends, potential risks, or important updates that are applicable to psychiatric-mental health nursing scope and standards of practice.
Charge
- Conduct internal council assessments to identify existing gaps in practice (e.g. develop & send survey(s) to all council members and/or engage in discussions on Advisory Panel Member Bridge community).
- Monitor these APNA resources to ensure they provide accurate information about PMH nursing practice and roles: About Psychiatric Nursing and About APRNs.
- Synthesize information to clarify the distinct but collaborative roles of RNs, APRNs, and other PMH nursing roles in various environments (e.g., provide summary articles for APNA News and/or post updates to Member Bridge to inform the membership).
- Create evidence-based FAQs that provide accurate information around common scope-related concerns, such as therapy provision, prescribing practices, RN-led interventions, and interdisciplinary overlap.
- Create case-based resources to help nurses apply the standards in real-world settings/environments, such as inpatient, outpatient, telehealth, community, etc. (e.g., what a therapeutic milieu looks like in practice).
- Foster ongoing discussion to support consistent understanding of PMH RN and APRN roles, helping to support informed decision-making related to practice expectations across setting and teams.
Note: This council is not currently meant to address state scope of practice policy issues.
Who can participate in the APNA Scope & Standards of Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing Practice Council?
Any APNA member looking to further the council’s vision, goals, and charge! The call for the inaugural volunteer members for this council is currently open. Whether you’d like to invest time and expertise each month as a Steering Committee member or help out with this council as you can on the advisory panel, there’s a spot for you if this councils focus aligns with your passions.
I want to be considered
Deadline to Apply: August 31
Not interested in this area but want to get involved? Check out the other councils!
