Practical Strategies, Clinical Complexity, and the Future of Psychiatric Care at Psych Congress NP Institute 2026
The 2026 Psych Congress NP Institute convenes this week from March 19–22 in Nashville, Tennessee. Now in its fourth year, the in-person meeting aims to equip psychiatric nurse practitioners with the tools and clinical strategies needed to navigate an increasingly complex care landscape.
“Psychiatric nurse practitioners are expected to make medication decisions in increasingly complex clinical environments,” said Co-Chair Andrew D. Penn, MS, PMHNP. “Psych Congress NP Institute was designed to provide foundational psychopharmacology and practical frameworks that clinicians can apply immediately, helping them practice with greater confidence, consistency, and safety.”
Featuring over 35 expert-led sessions, the agenda offers comprehensive education in antidepressant optimization, bipolar disorder management, antipsychotic selection, attention-deficit/hyperactive (ADHD) treatment, and rapid-acting therapies such as ketamine and repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), among other key topics.
Additional sessions, including “Crisis to Clarity: Practical Decision-Making for Pediatric Psychiatric Emergencies,” and “Hormones & the Mind: The Hidden Drivers of Women’s Mental Health,” will highlight the nuances of managing clinical complexity across patient populations and care settings.
Beyond clinical decision-making, the program also addresses how emerging technologies are shaping modern psychiatric practice. In their session, “The Digital Couch: Enhancing Psychiatric Care Through Telepsychiatry,” Steering Committee members Amber Hoberg, PMHNP-BC, and Desiree Matthews, PMHNP-BC, will explore how virtual care models are redefining treatment access, while Carter Doyle, MSN, PMHNP-BC, and Allison Sikorsky DNP, PMHNP, will discuss the emerging role of artificial intelligence (AI) in clinical practice during their session, “Practical AI for the Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner: Tools You Can Use Today.”
“Education has to reflect how psychiatric NPs actually practice today,” said Co-Chair Julie A. Carbray, PhD, PMHNP-BC, PMHCNS-BC, APRN. “The Psych Congress NP Institute focuses on practical psychopharmacology, patient centered evidence-based approaches, and real-world care delivery so clinicians can translate education directly into better patient outcomes.”
This year, the main conference will also be preceded by the Private Practice Summit Preconference, a full-day program on March 18 designed for clinicians interested in launching, growing, or optimizing their own practices. Led by experienced clinicians and industry experts who have successfully built their own practices, the preconference is structured to equip psychiatric NPs to build sustainable, patient-centered private practices.
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