President's Message: Let the Good Times Roll!
Laissez les bon temps rouler! What could be better than 4 days in New Orleans with our amazing psychiatric-mental health nursing community? We will be gaining new ideas in sessions that speak directly to our expertise and kicking back with our people at the Mardi Gras Reception as the good times roll at the APNA 33rd Annual Conference. I wanted to make sure you knew about some things I’m most excited about as you plan your trip to NOLA. Read More

Nurses in Action: APNA Annual Conference Presenter Brandy Mechling
Brandy Mechling, PhD, RN, PMHCNS-BC is the primary presenter of Piloting the Children's Program Kit: Supportive Education for Children of Addicted Parents: Addressing the Needs of and Promoting Resiliency for Youth Experiencing a Parent with Opioid Use Disorder to be presented at the APNA 33rd Annual Conference. We spoke with Brandy about her research, the importance of intervening on behalf of children with a parent with opioid use disorder, and more. Read More

Member News
Jennifer Amis explains the importance of telehealth and access to mental health care; Sean Convoy discusses new partnership between Duke University School of Nursing and the Cohen Veterans Network; Holly Covington honored as a Colorado Health Care Star; Dallas Ducar profiled by the University of Virginia; Joshua Hamilton featured on RMUpload Podcast; Kris McLoughlin receives Distinguished Alumni award from Yale University; Bernadette Melnyk elected president of the National Consortium for Building Healthy Academic Communities; Kathleen Schachman introduces Saginaw Valley State University’s Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner program. Learn More

2019 Elections Results
The ballots have been counted: announcing the results of the APNA elections! Please welcome the newest members of the APNA Board of Directors and 2020 Nominating Committee. Click here to see the newly elected members. 

Register Now for the APNA 33rd Annual Conference
Registration is open for the premiere event in psychiatric nursing! Join your nursing community in New Orleans, Louisiana on October 2-5 to connect with your passion for the profession. Earn up to 123+ continuing education contact hours from cutting edge content. Register now!

The Next Generation of Nurse Researchers
Announcing the emerging psychiatric-mental health nurse researchers who received APNA Research Grant! Three nurse researchers will use the grant to fund their research and evidence-based projects. See the Grant Recipients.

Featured Resource: Tips for New Nurses
We asked APNA members what they wanted new nurses to know about psychiatric-mental health nursing. See what they said in a new tip sheet.

New Members: 678 New Members since May!

It's possible that a lock of hair could one day aid in the diagnosis of depression and in efforts to monitor the effects of treatment, said the author of a new study examining cortisol levels in the hair of teens. Researchers at Ohio State University looked for potential relationships between the concentration of the stress hormone cortisol in the hair and adolescents' depression symptoms and found a surprising connection. Not only did high cortisol levels correspond to a higher likelihood of depression, but there was also a connection between low cortisol levels and mental health struggles, reported MedicalXpress.com. Full Story

A new machine-learning method can predict with 93% accuracy whether a person at-risk for psychosis will go on to develop the disorder, reported PsychCentral.com. The method, developed by scientists at Emory University and Harvard University, discovered that higher than normal usage of words related to sound, combined with a higher rate of using words with similar meaning, meant that psychosis was likely on the horizon. Full Story

Lawmakers and medical professionals need to help curb the suicide risk for older adults living in long-term care, a new study shows. The research, published JAMA Network Open, highlights the importance of providing emotional well-being and other mental health care services to adults over age 55 who live in, or are thinking of moving into, nursing homes and assisted-living facilities. Full Story

An international study has revealed specific sets of genes associated with the development of ADHD, autism spectrum disorder, bipolar disorder, major depression and schizophrenia, reported PsychCentral.com. Researchers analyzed more than 400,000 individuals to determine the genes behind these five mental health disorders. Researchers from The University of Queensland and Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam discovered several sets of genes marked all five disorders. Full Story

New Alzheimer’s disease clinical trials, and a government-driven public/private initiative to speed them up, were highlighted at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference (AAIC) 2019 in Los Angeles. A recent press release provided an overview of some of the findings shared with attendees. Click here to read the release.

Mental Health America (MHA) released a new report, “LGBTQ+ Mental Health: Insights from MHA Screening” that highlights a growing need to address the mental health concerns of those who identify as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Questioning (LGBTQ). LGBTQ face challenges in discrimination and adverse effects that increase their risk for experiencing stress, shame, and fear that can lead to mental health conditions. Full Story

With support from the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association (BCBSA), the National Quality Forum (NQF) released its latest Guide, Enhancing Access to Medication-Assisted Treatment, outlining critical actions healthcare stakeholders can take to expand evidence-based opioid use disorder (OUD) treatment. Full Story

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced a Notice of Funding Opportunity that provides State Medicaid agencies with information to apply for planning grants that will aid in the treatment and recovery of substance use disorders (SUDs), including opioid use disorder (OUD). Fighting the opioid epidemic is one of CMS’s top priorities, and the planning grants are an important step in that effort. Full Story

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that Minnesota and Nebraska have become the 23rd and 24th states who have received approval under the Trump Administration for innovative demonstration projects that increase access to treatment for opioid use disorder (OUD) and other substance use disorders (SUD).  Under the section 1115 demonstrations, Minnesota and Nebraska are approved to receive Medicaid matching funds for treatment in facilities that meet the definition of an institution for mental diseases (IMD). Full Story

A new advisory from The Joint Commission, Quick Safety, Issue 50: “Developing resilience to combat nurse burnout,” encourages health care organizations to address resilience – the process of personal protection from burnout – to protect nurses and other frontline staff. The advisory reviews how burnout interventions may lead to increased employee retention, reduced staff turnover and performance problems, and increased patient satisfaction. It also emphasizes the important role of leadership in creating a positive work environment to empower and motivate nurses and other frontline staff to achieve the best outcomes for patients, staff and the organization. Full Story

The American Psychiatric Nurses Association is Accredited with distinction as a provider of continuing nursing education by the
American Nurses Credentialing Center's Commission on Accreditation.