Melissa Andrus
Melissa Andrus, DNP, CRNP, PMHNP-BC
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States
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Dr. Melissa Andrus, DNP, CRNP, PMHNP-BC (formerly Dr. Turkal) of Instinct Wellness, LLC is an experienced board-certified Psychiatric Mental Health Practitioner and former adjunct faculty member of Robert Morris University. She has over 30 years of experience in health care, and regularly presents at the Pennsylvania Coalition of Nurse Practitioners Annual Education Conference and the Nurse Practitioner Association of Southwest Pennsylvania Annual Pharmacology Conference. She has presented at the Greater Pittsburgh Nursing Research Conference and the Pennsylvania Psychiatric Society’s Pittsburgh Chapter. Her original research has been published in the Journal of Nursing Education and Practice.
She has been an invited guest lecturer at several local universities, and is a member of Intra-Cellular Therapies, Inc, Health & Wellness Partners (now a part of Johnson and Johnson) Speaker's Bureau. She is extremely skilled at comprehensive psychiatric evaluation, diagnosis, and medication management. She is passionate about mental health and wellness, lifestyle psychiatry, patient advocacy, women's health, and social justice. She is a proud ally of the LGBTQIA+ community, and strives to ensure her patients receive inclusive, competent care.
Her clinical experience includes working in acute care, emergency psychiatry, inpatient psychiatry, correctional mental health, community mental health, and private practice.
Area of Expertise
Topics
The Neuropsychiatric Checklist for Autoimmune Psychosis: A Review
Autoimmune encephalitis (AE) is a potentially lethal condition that is often misdiagnosed as schizophrenia, due to similarities between the severe mental disorder and autoimmune psychosis (AP). This rapidly evolving topic in both neurology and psychiatry has stimulated much clinical research. There has also been criticism of the validity of the criteria for possible autoimmune psychosis. In clinical practice, it is often difficult to decide how far diagnostic procedures should go in unclear cases. This lecture will aim to summarize the diagnostic findings and present the Neuropsychiatric Checklist for Autoimmune Psychosis as a tool for clinical assessment.
Neurodivergent vs. Disorder: Recognizing Neurodiversity in Yourself and Your Patients
Neurodiversity suggests that certain conditions are not disorders; rather, they are a different order. Many people who consider themselves neurodivergent do not want to be cured – they want to be understood. Learn how to identify neurodivergent traits in ourselves and others, and how to best advocate for greater acceptance and awareness for those who are “different.”
Interventions for Treatment-Resistant Depression: Current Evidence and Clinical Strategies
A review of current options for treatment resistant depression
Trauma-Informed Care and Trauma Specific Interventions
A review of the history of trauma informed care, why it matters, and the latest evidence-based interventions.
Psychopharmacological Considerations for Pregnant, Lactating, Infertile, and Perimenopausal Women
A review of hormonal changes across a woman’s lifespan, how it impacts mental and physical health, and evidence-based interventions
A Stimulating Guide to ADHD Treatment Across the Lifespan
There are currently 35 stimulants and 4 nonstimulant medications that are FDA approved for the treatment of ADHD. This workshop is intended as a deep dive into ADHD treatment that will enable nurse practitioners to discern the differences between these 39 medications, their unique mechanism of action, prescribing considerations, and applicable patient education. CRNPs will learn the risks, benefits, indications, contraindications, class warnings, black box warnings, and everything they need to know before prescribing medication to treat ADHD. Special attention will be given to tactics to prevent abuse and diversion.
PCNP 23rd Annual Education Conference Sessionize Event
PCNP 21st Annual Education Conference Sessionize Event
Melissa Andrus
Melissa Andrus, DNP, CRNP, PMHNP-BC
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States
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