Summary
Andrea Thompson joined the Orvis School of Nursing (OSN) at the University of Nevada, Reno in 2026 after more than a decade of clinical experience across nursing, primary care, psychiatric mental health and reproductive psychiatry. She is a dual-certified Family Nurse Practitioner and Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner with specialized training and certification in perinatal mental health.
Her clinical career has included rural primary care, integrated women’s health, outpatient and inpatient psychiatry, psychiatric consultation and reproductive and perinatal mental health. In 2019, Thompson developed and launched an integrated program within women’s health in Northern Nevada to support patients experiencing perinatal mood and anxiety disorders. Since then, reproductive and perinatal mental health have remained a central focus of her clinical practice, education and advocacy.
Thompson is passionate about improving access to evidence-based mental health care and preparing nurses and advanced practice nurses to recognize and respond to mental health needs across healthcare settings. Her professional and scholarly interests include reproductive and perinatal mental health, trauma-informed care, integrated behavioral health, nursing education, health policy and healthcare systems. She continues to maintain active clinical practice alongside her faculty role.
Professional experience
- University of Nevada, Reno, Orvis School of Nursing, Reno, Nevada – Lecturer II, Full-time Faculty, January 2026 – present
- FEM Women’s Wellness, Reno, Nevada – Director of Mental Health, Reproductive Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner, February 2023 – present
- Carson Tahoe Health, Carson City, Nevada – Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner, Inpatient/Admitting Provider, February 2025 – present
- Thrive Wellness of Reno, Reno, Nevada – Director of Perinatal Psychiatry, March 2020 – June 2023
- Northern Nevada Medical Group, Reno, Nevada – Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner, Primary Care, February 2020 – February 2021
- Renown Health – Nurse Practitioner, Rural Primary Care, Perinatal Mood & Anxiety Disorders, December 2016 – June 2019
Research interests
- Reproductive and perinatal mental health
- Reproductive Psychiatry
- Integrated behavioral health
- Trauma-informed care
- Mental health access and health policy
Courses taught
- NURS 413 – Communication & Mental Health Nursing: Practicum
- NURS 701 – Mental Health Assessment Across the Lifespan
- NURS 703 – Advanced Mental Health Therapies: Individuals & Groups
- NURS 750 – Advanced Health Assessment
- NURS 794 – Preparation and Utilization of Evidence Based Scholarship
Selected presentations
- “Addressing Medication Hesitancy in Perinatal Mental Health: Shared Decision Making and Collaborative Approaches to Care.” Peer-reviewed poster presentation, Postpartum Support International Annual Conference, Los Angeles, California, 2026.
- “Trauma Informed Care for Survivors of Sexual Violence.” University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine, Reno, Nevada, 2026.
- “Trauma Informed Care in Women’s Health: Our Trauma Matters.” University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine, Reno, Nevada, 2025.
- “Perinatal Mental Health: Psychopharmacology Overview.” American Association of Nurse Practitioners Fall Conference, 2024.
- “It Takes a Village: Exploring an Interdisciplinary Team Approach to Perinatal Mental Health at the Intensive Outpatient Level of Care.” Postpartum Support International Annual Conference, New Orleans, Louisiana, 2022.
Education
- Doctor of Nursing Practice, University of Nevada, Reno – anticipated May 2027
- Post-Master’s Certificate, Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, University of Nevada, Reno, 2020
- Master of Science, Nursing, Family Nurse Practitioner Program, Seattle University, 2014
- Bachelor of Science in Public Health, Minor in African Studies, University of Washington, 2008
Professional certifications
- Family Nurse Practitioner, Certified - AANP (FNP-C)
- Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, Board Certified - ANCC, (PMHNP-BC)
- Perinatal Mental Health Certification, Postpartum Support International (PMH-C)
- Basic Life Support (BLS), American Heart Association