Discussion: Indispensable Evidence Based Guidelines for PMHNP Practice

This discussion board post focuses on two indispensable evidence-based guidelines for Psychiatric and Mental Health Nurse Practitioners (PMHNP). The first guideline emphasizes the use of clinical, scientific, and theoretical knowledge in assessing, diagnosing, and treating patients with psychiatric disorders, highlighting the importance of disease prevention and health promotion. The second guideline stresses the application of evidence-based practices, including screenings, lifestyle advice, and treatment planning, including medication prescription. Both guidelines are crucial for effective mental health care, patient involvement, and positive outcomes. The post references relevant websites and scholarly sources to support these guidelines, emphasizing the need for continuous learning and the integration of evidence-based practices in mental health care.

Running head: INDISPENSABLE EVIDENCE GUIDELINE 1
Indispensable Evidence Guideline
Student’s Name
Institutional Affiliation

INDISPENSABLE EVIDENCE GUIDELINE 2
Psychiatric and mental health nurse work with families, individual groups and communities to
assess their mental health needs. Also, they apply their knowledge in assessing, diagnosing and
treating families and friends with psychiatric disorders and identify any risk factors associated
with such disorders (Krajicek, 2017). As a group population of health professional, I have chosen
two guidelines that are indispensably evidence based.
One of the guideline is that as the provider of mental health care services, he/she must utilize
clinical, scientific, and theoretical knowledge to manage health and illness states. Assessment of
the patient’s mental health must be carried out by the practitioner and pay attention to disease
prevention and health promotion.
The guideline is indispensable because as a PMHNP, without conceptual, theoretical and
scientific knowledge and skills, it is difficult to execute their mandate as health practitioners
(York, 2016). It is not possible to carry out the practice when in the first place, the practitioner is
unprofessional. Unprofessionalism would easily terminate the lives of mentally ill instead of
enhancing their lives. You cannot separate knowledge, skills and scientific principles from the
health profession particularly the knowledge, skills and scientific theories regarding mental
health.
The link to the website: https://nursinglicensemap.com/advanced-practice-nursing/nurse-
practitioner/psychiatric-and-mental-health-nurse-practitioner-pmhnp/
The other guideline is that the PMHNP must utilize evidence to establish the use of screenings
and give advice on the lifestyle. Additionally, they are responsible for diagnosing mental
disorders, perform interpretation of data and facilitate planning of the treatment scheme
including medication prescription whenever it is required.

INDISPENSABLE EVIDENCE GUIDELINE 3
The second guideline is also indispensable because one cannot separate mental health
professional with application of evidence based practice. According to Denny (2018), the world
of medicine today is moving towards evidence based practice because it has proved to work
more effectively. It is recommendable that every other health practitioner uses the available
resources, journals and any other sources to ascertain, screen, assess and educate on various life
issues pertaining mental health. Another reason why the guideline is indispensable is because
evidence based practice has been proven to be effective in mental health. Mental illness is just
like any other disease of the body and thus it requires utmost attention with the sobriety of mind
that the goal is to heal. Just like the normal illnesses come with very complicated issues so is
mental illnesses. There are some cases that would demand a higher authority or professional and
reference to existing information in writing. Regarding patient involvement in the medication
decisions, it will require that if the student patient is not able to make the decision or rather
he/she is not in a sober mind to make the decision, the family members can stand in the gap and
make decisions for him/her. For this reason, evidence based practice is made inseparable from
mental health. Patient involvement in necessary ad determines a lot in the final outcomes of the
patient’s aftermath. It also determines the overall action that would be taken in case anything bad
or good happens.
The link to the website: https://nursinglicensemap.com/advanced-practice-nursing/nurse-
practitioner/psychiatric-and-mental-health-nurse-practitioner-pmhnp/

INDISPENSABLE EVIDENCE GUIDELINE 4
References
Denny, M. M. (2018). Adapting an Evidence-Based Insomnia Practice Guideline for Use in a
University Healthcare Setting.
Krajicek, M. (2017). Guidelines for nursing excellence in the care of children, youth, and
families. Springer Publishing Company.
Psychiatric and Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP). (n.d.). Retrieved from
https://nursinglicensemap.com/advanced-practice-nursing/nurse-practitioner/
psychiatric-and-mental-health-nurse-practitioner-pmhnp/
York, J. (2016). Specification of Veteran-centric Competency Domains in Training VA PMHNP
Residents.