Can psych nurses do psychotherapy

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Is it within the scope of an RN to practice psychotherapy? I'm a student in Canada and I know they have psych NPs in the states but I'm interested in psych nursing but I also want to move up in my career and I'm not looking to go into management. What restricted activities can a psych RN perform not including medical procedures.

Can any psych nurses in chime in?

Thanks

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Specializes in Psych ICU, addictions.

As far as I know, here in the States, it's an advanced-practice nursing thing.

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Yes, in the US (can't speak for anywhere else), generalist psychiatric nurses can do education with groups and individuals, but psychotherapy is considered advanced practice (limited to psych CNS or NP). Not sure what you mean by "restricted activities." I would guess that "restricted activities" are things that generalist psych nurses can't do. Can you give some examples of what you mean?

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Hi Novo,

I am currently a Senior in college but my goal is to be a Psychiatric nurse, according to my research like elkpark said advanced practive nurses here in the states can do psychotherapy...

FAQs about Advanced Practice Psychiatric Nurses - American Psychiatric Nurses Association this link has more about it.

studentmama

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Specializes in ICU.

I sometimes work on our psych unit, and only the psychiatrists here do this. We have nurse practitioners, but they just adjust medications and handle non-psych issues, like if a person has hypertension or elevated blood sugar, they will handle that. We do education, but it is very general stuff and not like "psychotherapy" at all.

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