How to Become a Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP)

What is a Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner?

A PMHNP works with individuals, families, groups, and communities. PMHNPs follow a multi-stage workflow for each client: assessing mental health needs, developing a nursing diagnosis and plan of care, implementing the nursing process, and evaluating it for effectiveness.

What does a Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner do?

PMHNPs combine a variety of nursing, psychosocial, and neurobiological expertise and methodologies to diagnose, treat, and improve the outcomes of patients facing psychiatric or mental health challenges.

Day-to-day, PMHNPs fulfill broad responsibilities that contribute to therapeutic relationship-building with their clients. Depending on a PMHNP’s specialization and targeted client base, their specific daily approaches and methodologies may vary. But generally, a PMHNP’s scope of practice includes patient assessment, diagnosis, planning, treatment, and evaluation—and may be ongoing for months or even years for each client.

PMHNPs don’t only provide individualized care, they also work with their patients’ families, engage their fellow health care peers in dialogue and research, and actively educate communities to decrease stigma surrounding mental health and the seeking of mental health services.

Where does a Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner work?

PMHNPs can work across a wide array of settings. Common work environments include hospitals, primary care settings, clinics, schools, telemedicine settings, public health facilities, and private practices.

Depending on the setting, PMHNPs can work with a variety of different patient profiles. These may include individuals struggling with opioid, alcohol, or other substance use disorders, children exposed to adverse or traumatic events, soldiers or other military personnel, older adults struggling with Alzheimer’s or dementia, adolescents and adults confronting anxiety or depression, and anyone experiencing suicidal thoughts.

Should I become a Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner?

A career as a PMHNP can be both fulfilling and rewarding for anyone interested in improving patients' mental health and psychiatric well-being, and in advancing the mental health and well-being of communities. Today, many PMHNPs and aspiring mental health care professionals are passionate about reducing the lingering stigma around mental illness, closing the access gap for mental health services, and integrating mental health care further into the primary care setting.

Working as a PMHNP may help these professionals actively engage with their passions and contribute to making these long-term goals a reality. If improving mental health outcomes and access to services are causes you care about, becoming a PMHNP might be a fulfilling path for you.

According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, more than 1 in 20 adults experience serious mental illness every year. But all too often, access is limited for the communities most in need of mental health services. Psychiatric nurses are uniquely poised to fill in these gaps, helping to increase equitable access to mental health care and providing much-needed services. The employment outlook for the field aligns with the field's growing demand. According to the National Center for Health Workforce Analysis, the national supply of psychiatric nurse practitioners is projected to grow by 6,690 between 2016 and 2030, an estimated 18 percent growth rate.

Is there a need for Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioners?

Yes, there is, and there’s plenty of evidence to back it up. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, more than 122 million Americans live in mental health care HPSAs (HPSA stands for health professional shortage area).

As with all nursing specialties, there is a shortage of nurses in the United States. Why? Our aging, expanding population continues to endure new and uncertain circumstances—and this reality comes with an increased need for psychiatric care. In fact, the need for qualified mental health professionals in the United States has never been greater.

• In 2024, 52.1% of adults in the United States with mental illness received any type of mental health treatment.
• Meanwhile, racial, cultural, and ethnic minorities face a disproportionate lack of access and higher levels of unmet mental health needs. A shortage of mental health professionals and services, particularly in rural and low-income areas, contributes largely to these gaps.

Countrywide estimates of mental health professional shortages in 2024 revealed that only 26.4% of the mental health services need is met. The professionals include psychiatrists, clinical psychologists, mental health counselors, substance abuse social workers, and more. Skilled PMHNPs can be relied on to fill some of these care gaps.

How much does a Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner make?

The salaries for nurse practitioners vary depending on factors such as specialization, setting, and role. According to Indeed, PMHNPs have an average annual income of $147,000 nationally.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the median annual wage for nurse practitioners in 2024 was $129,210. California, New York, and Oregon were among the top-paying U.S. states for nurse practitioners in 2024. Below is a table detailing their mean hourly and annual wages.

Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP-BC) Certification

There is one ANCC certification for PMHNP to pursue. The ANCC's PMHNP certification aligns with the Consensus Model for APRN Regulation. After meeting eligibility requirements and passing the competency exam, nurses are awarded the credential.

American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) – Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (Across the Lifespan) Certification (PMHNP-BC)

Eligibility Requirements:

• Active RN license in a state of territory of the United States or legally recognized equivalent
• Master’s degree or higher from a psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner program with at least 500 clinical hours accredited by the CCNE or the American Commission for Education in Nursing ACEN
• Three graduate-level courses in advanced physiology/pathophysiology, advanced health assessment, and advanced pharmacology
• Content in health promotion and/or maintenance and differential diagnosis and disease management.
• Clinical training in at least two psychotherapeutic modalities
• Passing competency-based examination

Fees:

• $395 non-member
• $295 American Nurses Association member
• $340 American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) member
• $290 AANP student member
• $220 American Psychiatric Nurses Association member
• $340 International Society of Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurses member

Renewal:

Certifications must be renewed every five years. Renewal applications are due at least three months before your certification expiration date.

Information for the PMHNP-BC certification from the ANCC was last retrieved in October 2025. For the most up-to-date information, visit the ANCC website.

State Nursing Licensure Information

PMHNP Resources

Below are some organizations with resources that may be helpful for aspiring and current PMHNPs:

• American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). The ANCC site offers a host of resources surrounding certification, membership, advocacy, education, events, and more.
  American Psychiatric Nurses Association (APNA). This the largest professional membership organization for practicing nurses in psychiatric-mental health fields. Their website offers relevant reports and other publications for current APNA members and aspiring PMHNPs alike.
• International Society of Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurses (ISPN). The ISPN is dedicated to supporting PMHNPs in promoting mental health care, literacy, and policy worldwide. Their site has information about membership, conferences, events, publications, and other relevant resources.

Here are answers to some frequently asked questions about the PMHP path, profession, and practice.