Best Psychiatric Nursing Books of 2025

The PsychNotes: Clinical Pocket Guide is an ideal resource for nursing psychiatry and mental health professionals. The book provides all the essential information on psychiatric medications, DSM-5 disorders and treatments, documentation, patient education, and much more. The latest edition has been thoroughly reviewed and updated to incorporate new knowledge and drugs, including Brexanolone IV, Deutetrabenazine, and Valbenazine. The book also covers PTSD, pandemics, COVID-19, and its impact on mental health, as well as telepsychiatry and teletherapy. What sets this book apart is its compact size, write-on/wipe-off pages, and clinical alerts that provide practical advice on the spot.

The Cognitive Processing Therapy for PTSD: A Comprehensive Manual is an essential read for clinicians working with patients who have PTSD. It provides a thorough understanding of cognitive processing therapy (CPT) and session-by-session guidelines for implementation, with sample dialogues and 40 reproducible client handouts. The book also discusses how to adapt the approach for specific populations, such as combat veterans, sexual assault survivors, and culturally diverse clients. The large-size format facilitates photocopying and day-to-day use. Overall, the book is an indispensable resource for any practitioner who wishes to utilize this powerful therapeutic approach.

The Bipolar Disorder Survival Guide: What You and Your Family Need to Know is an essential guide for anyone living with bipolar disorder or supporting a loved one with the condition. Dr. David J. Miklowitz provides science-based information and proven strategies for managing the illness, reducing recurrences, and making lifestyle changes to stay well. The third edition includes updated facts on medications and therapy, a new chapter on kids and teens, and expanded coverage of the bipolar II subtype. This practical, straightforward book is highly recommended for those seeking a better understanding of bipolar disorder and effective coping strategies.

This book is an authoritative presentation of motivational interviewing (MI), a powerful approach to facilitating change. The book elaborates on the four processes of MI and demonstrates what they look like in action through a wealth of vignettes and interview examples. Highly accessible, the book is infused with respect and compassion for clients. The companion webpage provides additional helpful resources. The book reviews the growing evidence base and covers ways to assess MI fidelity. A superb, readable guide to theory and practice, this book has fundamentally changed the way we think about working with less motivated clients.

The Clinician's Thesaurus is an essential report-writing tool for students and early-career professionals in the mental health field. The updated eighth edition covers DSM-5/ICD-10-CM and newer types of evaluations. The book contains thousands of technical terms, behavioral descriptors, and standard statements to assist users in finding the right wording for clinical documents. The author also provides interview questions, a huge collection of mental status questions, and links to hundreds of internet resources. The book's unique features include a list of psychiatric ICD-10 diagnoses, a sample evaluation report, and sections on additional clinical issues. Overall, this book is a must-read for anyone conducting mental health assessments.

Varcarolis' Foundations of Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing is a comprehensive and evidence-based text that prepares readers for psychiatric nursing care. It covers the complexities of psychiatric disorders and how to provide quality mental and behavioral healthcare. The clinical chapters follow the nursing process and provide real-world examples that make it easier to understand theory to application. The book includes illustrated explanations of the neurobiology of disorders, DSM-5 criteria for major disorders, and nursing care plans. Overall, this bestselling text is an excellent resource for nursing students and professionals alike.

Clinical Psychopharmacology Made Ridiculously Simple is a concise and practical guide to the use of psychotropic medications in treating mental and emotional disorders. The book provides a thorough understanding of pharmacological agents and their indications in a simple and easy-to-understand manner. Ideal for healthcare professionals and students, the book is authored by John Preston, who is an expert in psychopharmacology and has authored over 21 books. His strength lies in presenting complex information in an easy-to-understand way. Overall, this book is an excellent resource for anyone seeking to master medical knowledge in a quick and effective way.

The third edition of Psychotherapy for the Advanced Practice Psychiatric Nurse is an essential guide for both new and experienced advanced practice psychiatric nurses and students. It provides evidence-based approaches to assess and treat clients with various mental health issues. The revised framework for practice is based on new theory and research on attachment and neurophysiology. This textbook integrates the best evidence-based approaches into a relationship-based framework and provides helpful patient-management strategies. The book also includes new chapters on trauma resiliency, integrative medicine, and psychotherapeutic approaches with children and adolescents. Overall, this gold-standard textbook and reference reaffirm the centrality of the relationship for psychiatric advanced practice and celebrate the breadth of knowledge of the specialty.

The Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing Review and Resource Manual, 5th Edition is an essential tool for nurses planning to take the ANCC’s Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing certification exam. It is based on the official ANCC certification exam test content outline and provides comprehensive material and concepts written by nursing experts. The manual also helps in developing a seven-step plan to equip oneself for the exam and familiarize with psychiatric-mental health nursing standards of practice. Overall, this book is a must-have resource for nurses seeking certification in psychiatric-mental health nursing.

The Bipolar Workbook: Tools for Controlling Your Mood Swings is a comprehensive guide that provides readers with science-based tools to manage bipolar disorder. Dr. Monica Ramirez Basco's step-by-step exercises help readers identify their triggers, vulnerabilities, and strengths, and build the skills necessary to withstand manic episodes and avoid depression. The second edition of the book features a new structure, more succinct chapters, and streamlined exercises. Overall, this book is an excellent resource for those looking to achieve greater balance and get the most out of their bipolar disorder treatment.