Nurse Psychiatrist?

Specialties NP

Published

Just curious... Could a PMHNP refer to them self or their practice as nurse psychiatry or a nurse psychiatrist like CRNAs refer to themselves as nurse anestatists?

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No, because they are not. Your comparison is not accurate because anesthetist is not a physician.

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The term used to refer to our practice is typically "psychiatric nursing" rather than "nurse psychiatry." What's wrong with referring to yourself as a "psych NP" or "psychiatric NP"?

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I suppose but we do use psychiatric nurses / nursing. What's the difference in word order besides physicians hurt feelings?

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Maybe not much, but, for better or worse, "psychiatry" is specifically defined and commonly understood as a branch of medicine, and psychiatrists are specifically defined and commonly understood to be physicians. One might just as well ask why psychologists don't refer to themselves as "testing psychiatrists" -- it's because what they do isn't practicing psychiatry; it's something somewhat related but significantly different. Same with psychiatric nursing and psychiatry.

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