
The Legacy and Advocacy of the Society of Psychiatric Advanced Practice Nurses
The Society of Psychiatric Advanced Practice Nurses, founded in 1972, was the first professional nursing body in the country to certify clinical nurse specialists in psychiatric nursing. Today, the Society includes all psychiatric advanced practice nurses, both psychiatric nurse practitioners and clinical nurse specialists in advanced practice nursing.
The Society continues to advocate and lobby for psychiatric advanced practice nurses to practice to the fullest scope of their training and education, upholding the standards of excellence for psychiatric mental health nursing and promoting the delivery of high-quality professional care to clients, their families and the community.