The Implementation of Advanced Practice Psychiatric Nurse Prescribers: A Comprehensive Model

Abstract

In psychiatry the use of advanced practice psychiatric nurse (APPN) prescribers addresses the growing need for expert, cost-effective psychopharmacotherapy in outpatient settings. Prescribing nurses, collaborating psychiatrists, and administrators must develop interdisciplinary practice arrangements that comply with current statutory regulations and ensure adequate standards of patient care. This article describes a comprehensive modelfor the implementation of APPNs as providers of psychopharmacotherapy. It addresses the logistics and issues relating to quality-assured, cost-effective, patient-centered psychopharmacotherapy and can be used in any jurisdiction with minor modifications dictated by individual state regulations.

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

American Medical Association . (1993). Economic and quality issues uith implications on scope of practice-physicians and nurses (Board of Trustees Report 1-93-35). Issued at the AMA's House of Delegates meeting, New Orleans, December 1993. Chicago: Author.

American Nurses Association . (1992, Oct. 18-19). Congress of Nursing Practice. Washington, DC: Author.

American Nurses Association Task Force on Psychopharmacology . (1994). Psychiatric mental health nursing psychopharmacology project(pp. 25-25, 27-27, 29-29, 42-44). Washington, DC: American Nurses Publishing.

American Psychiatric Association . (1994). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (4th ed.). Washington, DC: Author.

American Psychiatric Association's Committee on Research on Psychiatric Treatments . (1992). Psychopharmacological screening criteria. Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 53(6), 184-184.

Batey, M. V. , & Holland, J. M. (1985). Prescribing practices among nurse practitioners in adult and family health. American Journal of Public Health, 75, 258-262.

Carson, W. (1993). Gains and challenges in prescriptive authority. The American Nurse, 25(6), 19-20.

Carter, E. (1986). Psychiatric nursing: 1986. Journal of Psychosocial Nursing, 24(6), 26-30.

Fiesta, J. (1994). Physician malpractice. Nursing Management, 5(12), 16-18.

10.

Gunn, I. P. , Tobin, M. H. , Rupp, R. M. , Blumenreich, G. A. Nurses and prescriptive authority. Specialty Nursing Forum, 2(1), 1-6.

11.

Keen, J. , & Wolf, R. (1993, December 8). Doctors and nurses dispute boundaries of medical "domain." USA Today, Sect. A, 12-12.

12.

Mahoney, D. (1992). Nurse practitioners as prescribers: Past research trends and future study needs. Nurse Practitioner, 17(1), 44-51.

13.

Mahoney, D. (1994). Appropriateness of geriatric prescribing decisions made by nurse practitioners and physicians. IMAGE. Journal of Nursing Scholarship, 26(1), 41-46.

14.

Moniz, D. (1992). The legal danger of written protocols and standards of practice. Nurse Practitioner, 17(9), 58-60.

15.

Repicky, P. , Mendenhall, R. , & Neville, R. (1980). Professional activities of nurse practitioners in adult ambulatory care settings. Nurse Practitioner, 5(2), 27-40.

16.

Rosenaur, J. , Stanford, D. , Morgan, W. , & Curtin, B. (1984). Prescribing behaviors of primary care nurse practitioners. American Journal of Public Healtb, 74, 10-13.

17.

Sovner, R. , Bailey, K. , & Weisblatt, R. (1990). An HMO psychopharmacology service. HMO Practice, 4(5), 162-166.

18.

Talley, S. , & Brooke, P. (1992). Prescriptive authority for psychiatric clinical specialists: Framing the issues. Archives of Psychiatnc Nursing, 1 (2), 71-82.