by Claire Ellerbrock, DNP, PMHNP | Aug 19, 2025 | Prescribing tips for treating mental disorders
Clozapine is one of the most effective medications for treating schizophrenia, especially in treatment-resistant cases. However, clozapine’s serious side effects require vigilant monitoring to keep patients safe. Understanding these risks can help APRNs and...
by Claire Ellerbrock, DNP, PMHNP | Aug 12, 2025 | Diagnosis/Assessment tips for treating mental disorders
What’s one of the most misdiagnosed conditions in mental health? Despite being relatively rare, schizoaffective disorder diagnosis shows up surprisingly often on psychiatric charts—and it’s often incorrect. According to the DSM-5-TR, the lifetime prevalence of...
by Claire Ellerbrock, DNP, PMHNP | Aug 7, 2025 | Diagnosis/Assessment tips for treating mental disorders
You’re in clinic with a 29-year-old twice-divorced man experiencing depressive symptoms. He’s never had a psychiatric diagnosis before, denies substance abuse, and reports no family history of depression or other psychiatric illnesses. This is his first major...
by Claire Ellerbrock, DNP, PMHNP | Jul 31, 2025 | Career Advice
When Psychiatry Gets Complicated Back to basics in psychiatry is often the most helpful mindset when clinical cases become complicated. Patients aren’t always straightforward, and even seasoned PMHNPs can be thrown off track by unexpected presentations. You...
by Claire Ellerbrock, DNP, PMHNP | Jul 24, 2025 | Best practices, Prescribing tips for treating mental disorders
One of the most stressful parts of being a PMHNP is managing patients who partially respond—or don’t respond at all—to psychotropic medications. Whether it’s antidepressants, antipsychotics, or others, knowing what to do next isn’t always straightforward....