Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing Workforce Agenda: Optimizing Capabilities and Capacity to Address Workforce Demands.

BACKGROUND

The mental health service delivery transformation has created models of care that generate demand for a workforce with particular competencies.

OBJECTIVE

This article develops a psychiatric mental health (PMH) nursing workforce agenda in light of demand generated by new models of care and the capacity/capabilities of the PMH RN and advanced practice nurse (APN) workforce.

DESIGN

Examine the current capacity of the PMH nursing workforce and how health care reform and related service delivery models create demand for a particular set of behavioral health workforce competencies.

RESULTS

PMH RNs and APNs have an educational background that facilitates development of competencies in screening, care coordination, leveling care, and wellness education. PMH RNs are a large workforce but the size of the PMH APN group is inadequate to meet demand.

CONCLUSION

The specialty must strategize on how to build requisite PMH RN and APN competencies for the evolving service landscape.