Support the application of our profession's scope and standards
The APNA Board of Directors established a new council to help PMH RNs and APRNs deliver optimal care: APNA Scope & Standards of Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing Council. Find out more and consider joining the Council

Sharpen your practice: Attend the APNA Annual Conference
Why do attendees return to the APNA Annual Conference year after year? There is no place like it for bold conversations, practical tools, and a vibrant community of peers who understand both the challenges and triumphs of your work. Register by Sept. 3 to save

Two RNs to celebrate
APNA is thrilled to honor Stacy Horowitz and Melissa Otte, two dedicated psychiatric-mental health nurses, with APNA Memorial Scholarships. Learn more about these nurses to be recognized at the upcoming Annual Conference. Hear from them

Build on your skills & knowledge with JAPNA
In the latest issue of the Journal of the American Psychiatric Nurses Association, read about the role of PMH nurses in preventing drug overdose; the importance of collaboration; and a chatbot-based mindfulness-based stress reduction program. And earn FREE CE, too!  

APNA Advocacy
This month, APNA signed onto comments submitted urging the Department of Education to consider degree classification and more in the One Big Beautiful Bill; and signed onto a letter to the members of Congress urging them to take action on appropriations and legislative priorities impacting nursing education, workforce, and research. See more

SAMHSA has released a new fact sheet, "Taking Care: Promoting Well-being for Recovery and Behavioral Health Care Providers," with tips and resources for better health and well-being for the behavioral health workforce. Access the resource

A recent Daily Nurse article shares eight mental health apps nurses can use to find calm between shifts. Full story

A brief, three-question version of the widely used Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) may provide a faster, yet still accurate, way for providers to screen for depression, new research suggests. In a study of more than 96,000 U.S. adult participants, the PHQ-3 had 98% sensitivity and 76% specificity for predicting at least moderate or greater depressive symptoms, reported MedScape. Full story

Adults who smoke cigarettes and are addicted to alcohol or other drugs were more likely to achieve sustained remission of their substance use disorder symptoms if they also quit smoking, according to scientists at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Based on their analysis of data from a large U.S. study of smoking and health, researchers believe the results clearly show the benefit of pairing smoking cessation with addiction recovery efforts. Full story

An international survey of ECT recipients found that over half felt they weren't given adequate information about the treatment beforehand. According to a survey of 858 ECT recipients, 59% felt they weren't given adequate information about ECT before receiving the treatment for severe mental illness. Another 17% said they weren't sure, reported Medpage Today. Full story

A smartphone-based digital therapeutic application designed to deliver suicide-focused cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) was associated with a sustained reduction in suicidal ideation, reported MedScape. Full story

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a final rule to update Medicare payment policies and rates for Inpatient Psychiatric Facilities, under the Inpatient Psychiatric Facility Prospective Payment System (IPF PPS) and Quality Reporting (IPFQR) Updates Final Rule (CMS-1831-F), for fiscal year 2026 in accordance with existing statutory and regulatory requirements. Full story

Illinois has enacted new legislation that restricts the use of artificial intelligence in mental health care, barring it from providing therapeutic or psychotherapy decision-making services. Full story

Wisconsin nurses with advanced training will now be able to practice independently, following Gov. Tony Evers’ signing of AB 257 into law. The measure, now Wisconsin Act 17, creates a new license category for advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) and outlines the path for them to work without physician oversight after meeting new training and supervision requirements. Full story

In a recent podcast, Yale’s Arielle Baskin-Sommers discusses the mental health challenges faced by many individuals while incarcerated and after their release — and a growing effort in New Haven, CT to offer them support. Listen to the podcast

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.