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 29, 2025 | Clinical support resources, Prescribing tips for treating mental disorders
Let’s dive into the world of SSRIs – the superheroes of psychotropic agents! They all work to boost those feel-good neurotransmitters like serotonin, but each SSRI has its unique personality. Prozac, Lexapro, Zoloft, Paxil, and Celexa: they’re like a squad with...
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....
by Claire Ellerbrock, DNP, PMHNP | Jul 22, 2025 | Prescribing tips for treating mental disorders
Every PMHNP has their go-to medications—but what about the ones we prescribe less often? One such antidepressant for me was vortioxetine (Trintellix), a medication I used to rarely prescribe, simply because I didn’t know as much about it. Let’s change that. What Class...
by Claire Ellerbrock, DNP, PMHNP | Jul 17, 2025 | Best practices, Prescribing tips for treating mental disorders
Understanding what sets newer antipsychotics apart is key for any PMHNP aiming to stay current with evidence-based treatment. Recent developments in partial dopamine agonists represent a major shift in how we manage psychotic disorders, but how much do you really know...