Post-Master's Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Students' Attitudes, Knowledge and Preferences for Providing Psychotherapy: A Qualitative Description Study.

Background: Mental illness is among the most common health conditions in the U.S., yet clients needing mental health services such as psychotherapy may not be able to receive these services because of mental health providers such as psychiatric/mental health nurse practitioners (PMHNPs). PMHNP students could be used as future clinicians to address this gap. However, little is known about PMHNP students' attitudes, knowledge, and modality preferences for providing psychotherapy.

Aims: The purpose of this study was to qualitatively assess how PMHNP students' attitudes, knowledge, and modality preferences may change after educational exposure to this content in theories and modalities of psychotherapy course in a post-master's PMHNP program.

Methods: A qualitative description design was used to collect data from formal writing assignments of 33 PMHNP students at the beginning and end of a one-semester course on theories and psychotherapy modalities. Responses were analyzed to form themes and categories while maintaining qualitative rigor.

Results: Attitudes, knowledge, and preferred psychotherapeutic modalities changed from the beginning of the course when compared to the end. An increase in comfort, knowledge, and the preferred number of modalities increased both qualitatively and quantitatively throughout the course.

Conclusions: Providing psychotherapy is an essential skill that is an important component of PMHNP education. More research is needed to learn the most efficient ways to increase attitudes, knowledge, and preferred modality. PMHNP faculty should encourage students to develop and refine beginning competency in psychotherapy during PMHNP educational programs.