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3052-22:  Can We Help Psychiatric Nurses Stay? Implementation of a Unique, Comprehensive Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Residency Program for Our Novice Psychiatric Nurses that Supports Professional Growth, Confidence, Critical Thinking, Teamwork, and Self-Awareness While Promoting Commitment and Retention 

This presentation provides a detailed overview of the development and implementation of a unique Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Residency Program in a large psychiatric setting. Through engaged discussion, participants will leave with a framework and extensive outline to apply this professional development initiative in their own institution.

Presenters:  Nancy Bowllan, EdD, CNS, RN; Heather O'Brien, MSN, RN

Disclosures:  The APNA planners and faculty have no relevant financial relationships to disclose. Off-label uses will not be discussed during this presentation.

Session Length: 34 minutes

Target Audience:  RN, APRN

Learning Outcome:
Upon completion of this presentation, the participant will be able to:

• Identify three learning outcomes and associated interactive learning activities in a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Residency Program.

Keywords:  Residency Program, Retention, Self-Care

Nursing Continuing Professional Development:
0.5 contact hours.  * In order to receive contact hours, you must: Listen to presentation, complete an evaluation, and earn a passing score on the post-test before the expiration date. You will have 5 tries to correctly answer the questions on the post-test and a score of 80% is required to pass. Once you have passed and completed an evaluation, the certificate will be generated online, available for you to print immediately. You cannot earn credit unless all steps are completed.

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.

Originally Presented
APNA 36th Annual Conference
Long Beach, CA

The contact hours for this session expire:  November 30, 2025

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Motivational Interviewing: Practical Strategies for Nurses

What is Motivational Interviewing (MI) and how should nurses use it? At its heart, MI aligns with the foundational nursing theories of Peplau, Watson, and Polly Ryan. It is a way of caring, of forming therapeutic interpersonal relationships, and of supporting health behavior change despite life’s obstacles and barriers. As such, it is as founding member Dr. Bill Miller observed, MI is a “heart-set and a mindset.”

This five-part presentation is designed to help you learn Motivational Interviewing and how to effectively use it in practice. The core principles of MI and a case exemplar are used during each session. Focus will be on learning flexible, strategic interventions such as reflective listening skills and learning to recognize change or sustain talk. 

Participants are directed to engage in practice between each session and at the conclusion. It takes continued practice to improve effectiveness in using MI. After you complete this series of sessions, we encourage you to engage in other modes of learning to further increase your confidence level in using MI to motivate behavior change.

Presenter: Carol Essenmacher, DNP, PMHCNS-BC

Disclosures: The APNA planners and faculty have no relevant financial relationships to disclose. Off-label uses will not be discussed during this presentation.

Session Length: 3 hours 30 minutes

Target Audience: RN, APRN

Learning Outcomes:

1. Upon completion of this presentation, the participant will be able to identify three nurse-specific interventions to motivate behavior change.
2. As a result of each session, 70% of participants will report an increase in confidence in implementing Motivational Interviewing in their practice setting.

Keywords: MI, Motivational Interviewing, Behavior Change, Reflective Listening, Partnership, Compassion, Acceptance, Substance Use Disorders, SUD, Stages of Change, SOC

Nursing Continuing Professional Development:
3.5 contact hours.  *In order to receive contact hours, you must: Listen to presentation, earn a passing score on the post-tests, and complete an evaluation before the expiration date. You will have 5 tries to correctly answer the questions on the post-tests and a score of 80% is required to pass. Once you have passed and completed an evaluation, the certificate will be generated online, available for you to print immediately. You cannot earn credit unless all steps are completed. Partial credit will not be awarded.

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.

Access to this course will end: September 30, 2026

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If you have already registered for this course, please DO NOT RE-REGISTER. If you do, your completed work will be erased in the system. Instead please email MSUD@apna.org for assistance accessing your training.

The current DEA practice guidelines require Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRN) who have or are applying for Schedule III authority to complete an 8-hour MSUD: Medications for Substance and Opioid Use Disorder course (8 hours of education on the treatment of persons with a substance use disorder diagnosis).

The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023 enacted a new one-time, eight-hour training requirement for all DEA-registered practitioners, except veterinarians, on the treatment and management of patients with opioid or other substance use disorders. For more information about the regulation visit the following links: 

• https://www.dea.gov/
• https://www.deadiversion.usdoj...
• https://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/pubs/docs/MATE_training.html#:~:text=The%20Consolidated%20Appropriations%20Act%20of,or%20other%20substance%20use%20disorders.

Note: This course will expire 90 days from the date of registration. Please complete the course within that time frame or you may have to begin the program again. If you have questions please contact MSUD@apna.org.

Course Description: 

This course is jointly provided by American Psychiatric Nurses Association (APNA), American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry (AAAP) and Providers Clinical Support System (PCSS). The course consists of 9 individual modules. This course contains content that will help nurses who wish to offer medication for persons with a substance use disorder, including buprenorphine. Each module includes a webinar. The last course module contains an overall course evaluation, honor statement and your certificate of course completion.  This course needs to be completed within 90 days of your registration date. If you have questions, please email MSUD@apna.org

Target Audience: APRN

Learning Outcomes:
Upon completion of the course, learners will be able to:

1. Identify patients with a substance use disorder diagnosis.
   
2. Discuss the pharmacology of opioids as it relates to treatment strategies for persons with an opioid use disorder (OUD) diagnosis.
3. Discuss medications that are appropriate for persons with a substance use disorder diagnosis.
4. Describe the basics of office-based medications that can be used when treating special patient populations, such as adolescents, older adults, pregnancy, & psychiatric comorbidities with a substance use disorder diagnosis.
5. Discuss approved antagonist, partial agonist, and agonist medications to treat OUD.
6. Discuss various laboratory tests used when assessing for a substance use disorder diagnosis.
7. Discuss ways to mitigate the risk of opioid use in pain management.   
   
8. Utilize evidence-based resources to ensure providers have the confidence to prescribe medication for patients with substance use disorder diagnosis. 

Pricing: Free

Keywords: MSUD Training, Addictions, MOUD, Substance Use Disorders, Opioid Use Disorder

Register:  

The course is free of charge and can be accessed by clicking the Register button above. You will be prompted to login with your APNA account. If you do not have an APNA account, select the button, "create an account" and complete the listed information to create a free non-member profile. 

Disclosures:

The APNA nurse planner and members of the APNA, AAAP and PCSS planning committee have no financial relationships or conflict of interest to disclose.  This educational activity may contain discussion of off-label usage of drugs that are not indicated by the FDA. The American Psychiatric Nurses Association (APNA) and the American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry (AAAP) do not recommend usage of any agent outside the FDA approved/labeled indications.

Release Date: August 31, 2023
Access to the 2023 course will end: August 31, 2026

Nursing Continuing Professional Development: 
8.0 pharmacology contact hours. *In order to receive contact hours for the program, participants must: complete all the components of the course, complete the overall course evaluation, and the honor statement.  Your nursing continuing professional development certificate will be generated online and available for immediate printing. Credit cannot be earned unless all components of the program are completed. No partial credit can be awarded.

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.

Accreditation of this nursing continuing professional development educational activity does not imply endorsement by APNA or ANCC of any commercial products discussed in the context of this activity. 

Funding Statement:  
Funding for this initiative was made possible (in part) by grant no. TI-23-014 from SAMHSA. The views expressed in written conference materials or publications and by speakers and moderators do not necessarily reflect the official policies of the Department of Health and Human Services; nor does mention of trade names, commercial practices, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.

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206/306-23: Daily Synthesis

Tie together the day’s learning and understand how it applies to your nursing practice.

Presenters:  Barbara Jones Warren, PhD, RN, PMHCNS-BC, FNAP, FAAN; Lyons Hardy, MSN, PMHCNS, PMHNP, Capt. Joseph Holshoe, PMHNP-BC

Disclosures: The APNA planners and faculty have no relevant financial relationships to disclose.  Off-label uses will not be discussed during this presentation.

Session Length:  15 minutes

Target Audience:  RN, APRN

Learning Outcome:
Upon completion of this presentation, the participant will be able to:

• Understand how to integrate the day’s psychopharmacology conference sessions into the full scope of PMH nursing practice for the care of persons across the lifespan.

Keywords:  Daily Synthesis; Synthesis; Psychiatric Disorders

Nursing Continuing Professional Development:
0.25 pharmacology contact hours.  * In order to receive contact hours, you must: Listen to presentation, complete an evaluation, and earn a passing score on the post-test before the expiration date. You will have 5 tries to correctly answer the questions on the post-test and a score of 80% is required to pass. Once you have passed and completed an evaluation, the certificate will be generated online, available for you to print immediately. You cannot earn credit unless all steps are completed.

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.

Access to this course will end: July 31, 2025

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201/301-23: Connections to Practice

Set the stage for the day of learning and how it connects to your nursing practice.

Presenter:  Brittany Evans, DNP, APRN, PMHNP-BC

Disclosures:  The APNA planners and faculty have no relevant financial relationships to disclose. Off-label uses will not be discussed during this presentation.

Session Length:  15 minutes

Target Audience:  RN, APRN

Learning Outcome:
Upon completion of this presentation, the participant will be able to:

• Understand how the day’s conference sessions connect to clinical practice and the foundational principles of PMH nursing.

Keywords:  Clinical Practice, APRN, Prescribing, PMHNP, Nursing, Psychopharmacology

Nursing Continuing Professional Development:
0.25 pharmacology contact hours.  * In order to receive contact hours, you must: Listen to presentation, complete an evaluation, and earn a passing score on the post-test before the expiration date. You will have 5 tries to correctly answer the questions on the post-test and a score of 80% is required to pass. Once you have passed and completed an evaluation, the certificate will be generated online, available for you to print immediately. You cannot earn credit unless all steps are completed.

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.

Access to this course will end: July 31, 2025

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404-23: New Mechanisms in the Pipeline for Treating Persons with Schizophrenia: Is it Really Different this Time?

Understand the implications of knowing that direct dopamine receptor affinity is not always necessary for antipsychotic efficacy, and explore how to get ready for new therapies that might be available in the not-too-distant future.

Presenter:  Peter J. Weiden, MD

Disclosures:  The APNA planners and faculty, with the exception of those listed below, have no relevant financial relationships to disclose. All relevant financial relationships listed for these individuals have been mitigated. Off-label uses will be discussed during this presentation.

Dr. Peter J. Weiden, MD, is a consultant for Alkermes Inc., and Lyndra Therapeutics. Dr. Weiden was an employee of Karuna Therapeutics (this relevant financial relationship has been divested).

Session Length:  1 hour 15 minutes

Target Audience:  RN, APRN

Learning Outcome:
Upon completion of this presentation, the participant will be able to:

• Identify new and emerging treatments for schizophrenia.

Keywords:  Schizophrenia, Antipsychotics, Dopamine, Receptor, Neuroscience

Nursing Continuing Professional Development:
1.25 pharmacology contact hours.  * In order to receive contact hours, you must: Listen to presentation, complete an evaluation, and earn a passing score on the post-test before the expiration date. You will have 5 tries to correctly answer the questions on the post-test and a score of 80% is required to pass. Once you have passed and completed an evaluation, the certificate will be generated online, available for you to print immediately. You cannot earn credit unless all steps are completed.

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.

Access to this course will end: July 31, 2025

*For an uninterrupted learning experience, please download and use Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Microsoft Edge, Safari, etc. If you continue to experience issues, you may need to update your browser.

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403-23: Achieving Balance: Neurobiology, Genomics, and Precision Medicine for Bipolar Disorders

Review updated diagnostic criteria and models of the bipolar spectrum to improve case identification, diagnosis and treatment. Redefine bipolar affective disorder in the context of epigenetics and neurobiology, focusing in on pharmacogenomics, contemporary pharmacological approaches, and practical applications for nurses.

Presenter:  Dr. Josh Hamilton, APRN-BC, CTMH, CNE, CLNC, FAANP

Disclosures:  The APNA planners and faculty, with the exception of those listed below, have no relevant financial relationships to disclose. All relevant financial relationships listed for these individuals have been mitigated. Off-label uses will be discussed during this presentation.

Dr. Josh Hamilton, APRN-BC, CTMH, CNE, CLNC, FAANP, is on the speakers’ bureau for Myriad Neuroscience and the key opinion leader for Alkermes.

Session Length:  1 hour 15 minutes

Target Audience:  APRN

Learning Outcome:
Upon completion of this presentation, the participant will be able to:

• Apply concepts of pharmacogenomics to the selection, prescription and management of drug therapy for bipolar spectrum disorders.

Keywords:   Bipolar Disorder, Pharmacogenomics, Epigenetics, Neurobiology, Bipolar Spectrum, Genetics, Genomics

Nursing Continuing Professional Development:
1.25 pharmacology contact hours.  * In order to receive contact hours, you must: Listen to presentation, complete an evaluation, and earn a passing score on the post-test before the expiration date. You will have 5 tries to correctly answer the questions on the post-test and a score of 80% is required to pass. Once you have passed and completed an evaluation, the certificate will be generated online, available for you to print immediately. You cannot earn credit unless all steps are completed.

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.

Access to this course will end: July 31, 2025

*For an uninterrupted learning experience, please download and use Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Microsoft Edge, Safari, etc. If you continue to experience issues, you may need to update your browser.

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402-23: Meeting on the Crossroads of Pain and Psych-Mental Health

Gain a deeper understanding of vital considerations for providing care to individuals who need psychiatric care who have co-existing pain conditions.

Presenter:  Maureen Cooney, DNP, FNP-BC, PMGT-BC, AP-PMN, ACHPN 

Disclosures:  The APNA planners and faculty, with the exception of those listed below, have no relevant financial relationships to disclose. All relevant financial relationships listed for these individuals have been mitigated. Off-label uses will be discussed during this presentation.

Dr. Maureen Cooney, DNP, FNP-BC, PMGT-BC, AP-PMN, ACHPN, is on the speakers’ bureau for Heron Therapeutics.

Session Length:  1 hour 15 minutes

Target Audience:  RN, APRN

Learning Outcome:
Upon completion of this presentation, the participant will be able to:

• Identify two strategies to address the complex relationship between pain and mental health.

Keywords:  Pain, Chronic Pain, Acute Pain, Mental Health Conditions, Depression, Anxiety, Psychotherapy

Nursing Continuing Professional Development:
1.25 pharmacology contact hours.  * In order to receive contact hours, you must: Listen to presentation, complete an evaluation, and earn a passing score on the post-test before the expiration date. You will have 5 tries to correctly answer the questions on the post-test and a score of 80% is required to pass. Once you have passed and completed an evaluation, the certificate will be generated online, available for you to print immediately. You cannot earn credit unless all steps are completed.

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.

Access to this course will end: July 31, 2025

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401-23:  ‘Glorious Glutamate’: Exploring the Neuroscience and Clinical Application of Glutamate and Glutamate Based Therapies

Understand how glutamate functions can negatively impact outcomes in psychiatric disorders. Learn new pharmacologic interventions and applications for daily clinical practice.

Presenter:  Rakesh Jain, MD, MPH

Disclosures:  The APNA planners and faculty, with the exception of those listed below, have no relevant financial relationships to disclose. All relevant financial relationships listed for these individuals have been mitigated. Off-label uses will not be discussed during this presentation.

Dr. Rakesh Jain, MD, MPH, is on the speakers’ bureau for AbbVie (Allergan), Alkermes, Axsome, Corium, Eisai, Indivior, Intra-Cellular Therapies, Ironshore Pharmaceuticals, Janssen, Lilly, Lundbeck, Merck, Neos Therapeutics, Neurocrine, Otsuka, Pamlab, Pfizer, Shire, Sunovion, Takeda, Teva and Tris Pharmaceutical. Dr. Jain is a Consultant for AbbVie (Allergan), Acadia, Adamas, Alfasigma, Axsome, Biogen, Boehringer Ingleheim, Corium, Cingulate Therapeutics, Eisai, Evidera, Impel, Janssen, Lilly, Lundbeck, Merck, Neos Therapeutics, Neurocrine Biosciences, Osmotica, Otsuka, Pamlab, Pfizer, Sage Therapeutics, Shire, Sunovion, Supernus, Takeda, Teva and Transcend Therapeutics. Dr. Jain is on the Advisory board for Adamas, Alkermes, Corium, Eisai, Janssen, Lilly, Lundbeck, Merck, Neos Therapeutics, Neurocrine Biosciences, Otsuka, Pamlab, Pfizer, Sage Therapeutics, Shire, Sunovion, Supernus, Takeda, Teva and Usona. Dr. Jain is a Researcher for AbbVie (Allergan), Lilly, Lundbeck, Otsuka, Pfizer, Shire, and Takeda.

Session Length:  1 hour 30 minutes

Target Audience:  APRN

Learning Outcome:
Upon completion of this presentation, the participant will be able to:

• Understand how glutamate can negatively impact outcomes in psychiatric disorders and apply pharmacologic interventions into nursing practice.

Keywords:  Glutamate, Depression, Neurotransmitter, GABA, NMDA, AMPA, Schizophrenia, Anxiety, Pain, Inflammation, Neuroscience

Nursing Continuing Professional Development:
1.5 pharmacology contact hours.  * In order to receive contact hours, you must: Listen to presentation, complete an evaluation, and earn a passing score on the post-test before the expiration date. You will have 5 tries to correctly answer the questions on the post-test and a score of 80% is required to pass. Once you have passed and completed an evaluation, the certificate will be generated online, available for you to print immediately. You cannot earn credit unless all steps are completed.

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.

Access to this course will end: July 31, 2025

*For an uninterrupted learning experience, please download and use Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Microsoft Edge, Safari, etc. If you continue to experience issues, you may need to update your browser.

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305-23: Pharmacogenomics: A Primer for Clinicians in Psychiatry

Optimize outcomes with pharmacogenomics: Gain an understanding of drug-gene interactions and how to personalize medications for your patients based on their genetic makeup.

Presenter:  Mary Gutierrez, PharmD, BCPP

Disclosures:  The APNA planners and faculty have no relevant financial relationships to disclose. Off-label uses will not be discussed during this presentation.

Session Length:  1 hour 15 minutes

Target Audience:  APRN

Learning Outcome:
Upon completion of this presentation, the participant will be able to:

• List two genotype variants involved in psychotropic medications’ efficacy and toxicity.

Keywords:  Pharmacogenomics, Genetics, Enzyme, Metabolism, Genotype, Genetic Testing

Nursing Continuing Professional Development:
1.25 pharmacology contact hours.  * In order to receive contact hours, you must: Listen to presentation, complete an evaluation, and earn a passing score on the post-test before the expiration date. You will have 5 tries to correctly answer the questions on the post-test and a score of 80% is required to pass. Once you have passed and completed an evaluation, the certificate will be generated online, available for you to print immediately. You cannot earn credit unless all steps are completed.

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.

Access to this course will end: July 31, 2025

*For an uninterrupted learning experience, please download and use Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Microsoft Edge, Safari, etc. If you continue to experience issues, you may need to update your browser.