Telehealth and Team-Based Care: Adapting the Future of Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Education

Abstract

Background:

Chronic shortages of mental health providers restrict access for 51 million people in the United States with mental illness. Psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioners (PMHNPs) can help expand access using technology and team-based care.

Aims:

The aim of this study was to analyze education and practice trends of PMHNPs in team-based care and telehealth models using a national sample of PMHNPs.

Methods:

A secondary analysis of publicly available data from the 2022 National Sample Survey of Registered Nurses examined responses from 1,753 employed, certified PMHNPs. The descriptive study used means and frequencies to assess demographic, education, and work characteristics, along with 4 items on team-based care and 10 on telehealth.

Results:

Most respondents report receiving training on team-based care through formal education, work, or professional development (83.2%), with 73.6% reporting their training was sufficient. Those participating in team-based care comprised 46.3%, and only 5.6% reported no participation. Over 82% report their workplace uses telehealth, and 77.6% report personal use of telehealth. The most used telehealth methods included live videoconferencing (72.8%) and telephone calls without video (53.2%).

Conclusion:

With the increasing reliance on team-based care and telehealth as strategies to improve accessibility and efficiency in patient care, nursing programs should consider incorporating telehealth frameworks, competency-based education, and digital literacy into the preparation of PMHNPs to meet the demands of modern health care.