Health Teaching and Promotion and Prescriptive Authority and Treatment

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Standard 5B: Health teaching and health promotion.

The PMHNP will educate the patient as it aligns with their health plans, requirements and circumstances. Some examples include educating patients with substance abuse problems, regarding medications and usage, psychiatric disorders, and providing the patient tools with which to resolve conflict and solve issues. Additionally, education can be completed regarding various other issues, not limited to finding and utilizing other services that could be of help, identifying personal issues and learning how to deal with them, how to obtain help for pertinent problems and prevent a relapse etc. (CITE BOOK) (American Nurses Association & American Psychiatric Nurses Association, 2014).

The PMHNP should assess the patient holistically in various avenues of life to determine the appropriate method of education that would be best suited for that individual patient. This education should include tailored teaching specifically to the patient that is easily digestible and able to be comprehended at the patient’s level, considering various demographic information and abilities. (CITE BOOK) (American Nurses Association & American Psychiatric Nurses Association, 2014).

The PMHNP should be aware of local resources that are community based as well be able to identify organizations that could provide aid in the realm of education regarding healthy activities, eating, lifestyle, etc. All information presented to the patient should be current and include the latest data and be evidence-based. Topics educated on should include prevention, intervention, various types of therapy, specialists, and advocacy organizations among other things. This education should be provided to both the patient and family as appropriate with the goal of prevention and risk reduction of mental health disorders or ailments. After the education has been provided, the PMHNP should request critique and evaluation of educational strategies, delivery method, ease of understanding and ability to incorporate strategies into their daily life from the patient (American Nurses Association & American Psychiatric Nurses Association, 2014).

Standard 5B states the PMHNP evaluates health information resources, such as the Internet, in the area of practice for accuracy, readability, and comprehensibility to help healthcare consumers access quality information. As a practicing PMHNP, how will you respond to clients who request medications or treatments based on information they researched on the internet?

This is a difficult but seemingly common situation to be placed in as a provider of any type, but especially a mental health provider. As a health provider, it is my responsibility to listen to my patients and try to help them as much as possible. The best way to solve this situation is to establish trust, be open with communication, do not belittle or judge, and educate. Educating patients on how to find a reputable online source of health information and then how to interpret that information is quite difficult and nuanced. One must consider each patient’s individual healthcare literacy and then align suggestions from there (Hardavella et al., 2017). An important step would be outlining how to ask who what where when and why as it pertains to the website. We should teach the patients to ask who wrote or sponsored the website, what is the name of the site, where did they hear about it, when was it published, why is it being discussed. We should talk about the dangers of getting information from social media and to be wary of purported miracle cures (National Institute on Aging, 2018). After we provide some education, we can discuss their findings, but we should let the patients know that we need time to digest the information they have researched and offer to make a second appointment to go over their findings and relate them to what the provider recommends and knows about the topic. When we let the patient know that they are heard and that we do not want to rush the appointment along, we are instilling confidence and showing a willingness to have shared decision making as it pertains to healthcare decisions.

How to apply standard into daily practice:

I will prepare a list of some reputable websites to encourage patients to search for themselves. I feel this step is critical as it will show that I’m not hiding my knowledge and I encourage them to be active participants in their health and treatment options. I will print out copies and have them available to hand to patients so they can take with them. This will remove various barriers such as having to remember what you said, being nervous about taking notes, missing spelling of websites, being afraid to ask for help etc. By providing them with a hard copy, this gives the patient something concrete in this world of technology and I think a significant portion of the population will appreciate this gesture. Additionally, by having something already printed, you are showing patients that you encourage all patients to do additional research and that should show the patients that you are a confident provider.

Standard 5D. Prescriptive Authority and Treatment

The PMHNP will use the latest data and evidence-based information as well as a thorough knowledge of the body and its functions to prescribe medicine to the patient. The medication will be selected after a thorough evaluation of the patient’s lifestyle, historical medication trial data, allergies, current medications, economic factors, among other reasons. The patient will be made aware of the side effects, other treatment options available. The risks and benefits of therapy will be discussed as well as other therapeutic options and treatments available. Lab data and other testing will be reviewed and alternative holistic therapies discussed prior to medication prescription. After medication has been prescribed and taken, results will be reviewed while evaluating symptoms and efficacy and relate it to current medication data. All prescribing, referrals and therapy suggestions will be guided by pertinent and withstanding laws of state and nation (American Nurses Association & American Psychiatric Nurses Association, 2014).

Standard 5D states the PMHNP prescribes pharmacologic agents based on current knowledge of pharmacology and physiology. PMHNPs are charged to keep current with evidence-based practice. New medications are frequently developed and released. What strategies will you use to remain current in your knowledge of new psychopharmacologic options for your clients? What resources exist to help you?

It is imperative that PHMNPs stay current regarding all facets of mental healthcare, especially as it pertains to medication. One way to stay current on medications is with clinical practice guidelines. These can be found at psychiatric professional organizations websites such as The American Psychiatric Association (American Psychiatric Association, 2022). Additionally, becoming a member of professional organizations such as the American Psychiatric Nurses Association will provide a multitude of resources. The APNA has a Clinical Psychopharmacology Institute that disseminates updates to its members and has conferences for more detailed learning (American Psychiatric Nurses Association, 2022).

How to apply standard into daily practice:

I will join the APNA as well as the APA prior to graduation and use their resources regarding education and networking to further my learning and understanding of current and new medications and treatments. Additionally, I plan to network with colleagues within my practice to share resources as well as colleagues in other practices and on various networking groups through my university. Sharing resources helps us all learn and strengthens the PHMNP community. I plan to attend one conference per year to increase my knowledge and have some additional networking opportunities.

American Nurses Association & American Psychiatric Nurses Association. (2014). Psychiatric–mental health nursing: Scope and standards of practice (2nd Ed.). American Nurses Association.

American Psychiatric Association. (2022). Clinical Practice Guidelines. https://psychiatry(dot)org/psychiatrists/practice/clinical-practice-guidelinesLinks to an external site.

American Psychiatric Nurses Association. (2022). APNA 20th Annual Psychopharmacology Institute. https://www(dot)apna(dot)org/events/clinical-psychopharmacology-institute/Links to an external site.

Hardavella, G., Aamli-Gaagnat, A., Frille, A., Saad, N., Niculescu, A., & Powell, P. (2017). Top tips to deal with challenging situations: Doctor-patient interactions. Breathe (Sheff), 13(2), 129-135. doi:10.1183/20734735.006616

National Institute on Aging. (2018). Online health information: Is it reliable? U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. https://www(dot)nia(dot)nih(dot)gov/health/online-health-information-it-reliable#doctorl