Commentary on ' Blueprint for developing the advanced practice psychiatric nurse workforce'

摘要

The authors provide a blueprint for developing the Advanced Practice Psychiatric Nurse (APRN-PMH) workforce that it is incumbent on all of us to take seriously, even if we are not in that specialty, because behavioral health is one of the most all-encompassing areas of health care. The need for a professional workforce skilled in addressing behavioral health is enormous-nearly 96% of U.S. counties have an unmet need for prescribers-and there simply are not enough providers prepared to meet demand for such services. Current efforts to reform health care by creating accountable care organizations provide us with an exceptional opportunity for insinuating APRN-PMHs more forcefully than ever before into mainstream health care services, because the emphasis will increasingly be on prevention, rehabilitation, and management of chronic conditions.