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A Comparison of the Practices of Psychiatric Clinical Nurse Specialists and Nurse Practitioners Who Are Certified to Provide Mental Health Care for Children and Adolescents

BACKGROUND: A task force of the American Psychiatric Nurses Association and the International Society of Psychiatric Mental Health Nurses initiated a survey to identify how advanced practice psychiatric nurses were addressing the mental health needs of children and adolescents. OBJECTIVES: Practice patterns of Child and Adolescent Psychiatric—Mental Health Nurses (CACNSs) and Family Psychiatric Nurse Practitioners (FPNPs) were compared. DESIGN: An electronic survey was completed by 234 CACNSs and 170 FPNPs from a national database. Group data were compared using descriptive and inferential statistics. RESULTS: Both groups spent the greatest percentage of their time in medication management, with depression being the most frequent problem they treated. However, CACNSs treated more school-aged children and provided more psychotherapy. FPNPs frequently merged prescribing and therapy when seeing patients. CONCLUSIONS: Findings indicate more commonalities than differences in the practices of the two certification groups but suggest the need for standards that will inform educational programs and certification examinations.