Psychiatric Nursing Workforce Survey: Results and Implications

The last national survey of psychiatric-mental health (PMH) nurses was conducted in 2016 and was limited to advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs). Data on the demographic and employment characteristics of the PMH workforce could inform how to optimize the PMH nursing workforce to address increasing demands for mental health services. The objective was to conduct a national survey of PMH registered nurses (RNs) and PMH-APRNs to gather data on their demographic, educational, and practice characteristics.

An email survey was administered between October 2020 and February 2021 to all members of the American Psychiatric Nurses Association and to all PMH-APRNs certified by the American Nurses Credentialing Center. Separate surveys included 51 questions (RN) and 52 questions (APRN). Survey questions were informed by several sources including the Minimum Data Set for the Behavioral Health Workforce.

Surveys were completed by 4,088 PMH-RNs and 5,158 PMH-APRNs, with a combined response rate of 12.1%. Findings suggest that the workforce is aging but has increased slightly in diversity. In all, 62.4% of RNs reported a hospital as their primary employment setting, while the majority of APRNs (70.4%) practice in outpatient settings. Forty-four percent of the PMH-APRN respondents indicated that most of their patients receive federal insurance.

Nursing must plan for significant retirements in the PMH workforce in next 5 years. Hospital-based practice continues to dominate PMH-RN roles but might be expanded to community-based settings teaming with PMH-APRNs in outpatient sites. Increasing the diversity of the workforce should be prioritized.