Announcing the 2023 APNA Annual Awards Recipients
The APNA Annual Awards recognize APNA members who demonstrate excellence in psychiatric-mental health nursing practice, education, research, leadership, community efforts, and more. Recipients are nominated by their peers and recognized at the APNA Annual Conference and in communications throughout the year. Click here to meet the 2023 APNA Annual Awards Recipients.

APNA Memorial Scholarship Application Deadline May 2
This year, the APNA Memorial Scholarship supports 2 RN-level APNA members dedicated to enhancing their skills and talents to best impact their patients’ lives. The recipients will be able to attend the APNA 37th Annual Conference for FREE.  Apply for the APNA Memorial Scholarship to this year's conference.

Apply Today for an APNA Research Grant
APNA is accepting applications for APNA Research Grants through Tuesday, May 16. Grants, which range from $1,000 to $10,000, support new researchers’ investigations of evidence-based practice changes, quality improvement projects, or research studies. Any student conducting a thesis, dissertation, or capstone project is also welcome to apply. Find out more and apply

Come Together with Your Colleagues at CPI
The APNA Clinical Psychopharmacology Institute provides a welcoming and comfortable environment for you to discover the latest in psychopharmacology, ask questions, share experiences, and have fun!  Be sure to join fellow nurses at the Hyatt Regency in Reston, VA this June 8-11, or choose a virtual option. You’ll engage with speakers who are prestigious experts in the field during dedicated Q&A time and at the Ask the Expert table. You’ll connect with colleagues in sessions, between sessions, and over meals. And you’ll earn up to 21.5 contact hours in pharmacology. Register today for this opportunity to talk to experts & make new friends at CPI! Save by registering by May 15. 

New OnlineFirst Articles in Journal of the American Psychiatric Nurses Association
An APNA Board of Directors Column on equitable mental health care, an editorial on social media safety, and a qualitative analysis of pregnant women’s suboxone online forum posts are among the newest articles available online. View these articles and more

According to results of a comprehensive National Council of State Boards of Nursing and National Forum of State Nursing Workforce Centers study, 100,000 nurses left the workforce during the pandemic and by 2027, almost 900,000, or almost one-fifth of 4.5 million total registered nurses, intend to leave the workforce, threatening the national health care system at large if solutions are not enacted. Full Story

The Pew Charitable Trusts released its first video in a 2-part series on suicide in America and how health care systems can help reduce risk. In part 1, watch experts talk about the factors behind suicidal thoughts and behaviors and suicide’s growing prevalence in recent decades – leading to more than 48,000 deaths in 2021. Click here to watch the video.

Join the Health Resources and Services Administration’s Bureau of Health Workforce (BHW) to discuss funding opportunities available to nursing students, graduates, and nursing programs at am informational webinar: HRSA Workforce Funding Opportunities for Nursing Students and Nurses. The webinar will be held Wednesday, May 10, 2023 from 2:30 pm – 4:30 pm ET. Click here for more information.

Roche and Eli Lilly and Co. are joining forces to develop a blood test for Alzheimer's disease, and plan to kick off a two-year clinical trial involving hundreds of volunteers with the aim of winning U.S. regulatory approval. The effort comes as Lilly as well as Eisai and Biogen are gearing up to sell drugs aimed at slowing the advance of the mind-robbing illness, but their use will require a diagnosis at earlier disease stages than is the norm today. Full Story

Nurses still love what they do - 60% of nurses love being a nurse, but 62% are concerned about the future of nursing, according to responses from the Nurse.org The 2023 State of Nursing survey. Respondents also shared they think workplace conditions have improved - rates of burnout, mental health suffering, and lack of support have all improved slightly. Rates of workplace violence have also dropped, 45% of nurses felt unsafe at work, down from 56% last year. Full Story

For older adults with depression who have not experienced significant symptom improvements while taking antidepressants, adding aripiprazole to their existing medication regimen may offer the best chance of improving mood while limiting key side effects. These findings were based on a clinical study reported in the New England Journal of Medicine. Full Story

A report in JAMA Psychiatry now suggests a smartphone app that assists users in tracking their mood and function may help to reduce relapse risk in some patients with bipolar disorder. The smartphone intervention is called LiveWell, a coach-supported app that monitors daily medication adherence, sleep duration, routine, and wellness levels. Based on this information, the app provides feedback, directs users to relevant app content, and encourages outreach to mental health professionals when needed. Full Story

A new Quick Safety advisory from The Joint Commission, “Using validated tools for suicide risk screening,” provides guidance to help healthcare organizations ensure the validated tool(s) selected for their suicide risk screening is used appropriately and accurately in order to yield the intended results. Once an individual screens positive, the use of an evidence-based assessment process or tool in conjunction with clinical evaluation is effective in determining overall risk for suicide. Full Story

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Narcan, 4 milligram (mg) naloxone hydrochloride nasal spray for over-the-counter (OTC), nonprescription, use – the first naloxone product approved for use without a prescription. Naloxone is a medication that rapidly reverses the effects of opioid overdose and is the standard treatment for opioid overdose. The action paves the way for the life-saving medication to reverse an opioid overdose to be sold directly to consumers in places like drug stores, convenience stores, grocery stores and gas stations, as well as online. Full Story

The expanded availability of opioid use disorder-related telehealth services and medications during the COVID-19 pandemic was associated with a lowered likelihood of fatal drug overdose among Medicare beneficiaries, according to a new study published in JAMA Psychiatry. The study found that Medicare beneficiaries that began a new episode of opioid use disorder-related care during the pandemic and received opioid use disorder-related telehealth services were found to have a 33% lower risk of a fatal drug overdose. Full Story

The Improving Care and Access to Nurses (ICAN) Act was recently re-introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives. Endorsed by more than 160 health care organizations in the 117th Congress, the ICAN Act would remove numerous administrative and practice barriers for advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs), meaning nurse practitioners, nurse anesthetists, nurse-midwives, and clinical nurse specialists will be able to care for their patients at the fullest extent of their abilities. Full Story

The Workplace Violence Prevention for Health Care and Social Service Workers Act was introduced by Rep. Joe Courtney (D-CT) in the U.S. House of Representatives and Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) in the U.S. Senate. This legislation would curb rising rates of on-the-job assaults against nurses and others health care professionals by directing the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to issue a standard requiring health care and social service employers to write and implement a workplace violence prevention plan to prevent and protect their employees from violent incidents. Full Story

Utah lawmakers' adoption of Full Practice Authority (FPA) eliminates hurdles for the state’s nurse practitioners (NPs) to set up their own practices. When Utah Gov. Spencer Cox signed Senate Bill 36 into law Utah became the 27th state in the nation, along with the District of Columbia and two U.S. territories, to adopt FPA, reported HealthLeaders.com. Full Story

The Biden-Harris Administration, through the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), announced measures that will make coverage more accessible, expand behavioral health care access, simplify choice, and make it easier for millions of Americans to select a health plan in 2024. As part of the effort to expand access to behavioral health care, the final rule includes two new essential community provider (ECP) categories that are critical to delivering needed behavioral health care: Substance Use Disorder Treatment Centers and Mental Health Facilities. Full Story

Aligned Innovation, a multistakeholder initiative from the National Quality Forum (NQF), will advance the next generation of quality measures for behavioral health and maternal health outcomes, said NQF President & CEO Dana Gelb Safran, ScD. The new measures prioritized by the Coalition – and informed by patients and clinicians – include outcomes for mild to moderate behavioral health conditions (e.g., depression, anxiety), and reducing severe maternal morbidity (SMM). Full Story

Click here to see letters APNA has signed on to as a part of its participation in coalitions that further policy for nursing and mental health.

The American Psychiatric Nurses Association is accredited as a provider of nursing continuing professional development by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation.