Amir Raad: Psychiatric NP & Board Member

Amir Raad, DNP, PMHNP-BC, RN, works as a psychiatric nurse practitioner at AMITA Mercy Medical Center in Aurora, Illinois. He started his position in July 2021.

“I love it. I love the current role,” he says.

So, what are some of his primary responsibilities? He conducts the initial evaluation of new patients, manages their medications, and follows up with patients throughout their inpatient stay.

“I’m trying to gather their history to eliminate if there’s anything medical versus actually psychiatric,” he explains.

He also covers the medical floors for psychiatric consults at times and collaborates with a team of providers to ensure patients receive the highest quality care during their hospital stay. Patients are admitted for a variety of symptoms, including suicide attempts, drug overdoses, psychotic breaks, or exacerbation of illnesses like schizophrenia or bipolar.

“A lot of patients are not in the right state of mind when they come in. It’s really tough. We get them stabilized.”

When patients are stable enough to be discharged, they receive a referral for follow-up and next steps for their care. “It’s a really fragile period,” he says.

Beginning as a Nurse

Amir has worked in healthcare since he was 16 years old. He became a CNA in high school. At the University of Maine, he took some time to decide whether to pursue nursing or an art degree.

“I worked as a CNA at the time, and I just thought with art I could have it as a hobby. Making a difference in someone’s life has always been special to me.”

He then worked as a phlebotomist, EKG tech, and psychiatric RN. He also worked as an RN in a telemetry unit on open heart surgeries and other cardiac procedures.

“After I did that, I knew I’ve got to go back to mental health. Mental health is my thing.’”

Pursuing a DNP

He chose the University of Arizona for his doctorate, while continuing to work as a nurse. The program director opened doors to working on a Navajo reservation, where he spent several months. He worked on a medical surgical unit. “You still had psychiatric stuff there. Every nurse, really, deals with that.”

Even though the health disparities stood out to him, he saw it as an opportunity. “To be able to be there for somebody—to teach them and help them, it was awesome.”

Witnessing the community and Medicine Man component of healthcare on the reservation resonated in a surprising way.

“My family is Middle Eastern, but I primarily grew up in the U.S. I always try to learn about my own culture. And I found there are so many similarities between the Native cultures and the Middle Eastern cultures. I was talking to my mom about some of the Medicine Man traditions I saw at the hospital, and she was like ‘Oh yeah, we did that when I was younger.’ It was really special.”

Pivoting with the Pandemic

Amir was nearing completion of his DNP program and was preparing to graduate when everything changed in March 2020. When the university paused clinical, he knew he couldn’t stand by and do nothing. He was originally going to be deployed to a New York hospital for a COVID relief assignment as an RN but ended up being diverted to the Chicago area.

“It was tough because a lot of people were coding and passing away. The manager of that unit ended up passing away from it as well. It was really tough. That was a hard time. I lived in a hotel, everything was closed, and I worked night shift. I’d go in at 7:00 p.m. and kind of like being in the army—you’re ready for battle. You went in, then you got out, slept, and ate, and back at it. It’s still emotional sometimes when I think about it.

“Now to go back and see that unit being a regular unit just like it was before the pandemic—it gives me the chills.”

Talking to his mom regularly helped him access his own resiliency and strength. “Just to hear her voice and her encouragement was everything.”

And sometimes even terrible situations have silver linings. Amir met his partner while in Illinois. After returning to Arizona briefly to graduate, he ended up coming back to Illinois and taking his current job in Aurora.

Serving on the Board

Once he landed in Illinois, Amir immediately got involved with fellow nurse practitioners. He was elected in 2021 as the CNP representative for the ISAPN board. “It’s more important than ever for advanced practice registered nurses to come together.”

Bringing the mental health perspective to the board is important to him—both for APRNs treating patients and for nurses themselves. Removing the stigma is the first step.

“Understanding it’s an illness just like any other illness. If left untreated it can really precipitate. It can be really dangerous.”

He’d love to see therapists available for employees at every hospital and for more nurses and APRNs to talk about the intense pressure they’re under.

For APRNs treating patients, “If you don’t feel comfortable managing somebody who’s struggling with mental illness, refer to a psychiatric nurse practitioner. That’s what we’re trained for.”

So how does Amir take care of his own mental health as a psychiatric nurse practitioner? He spends time in nature and still paints here and there.

“Most people don’t realize how therapeutic that can be.”