Diane Ackroyd, PMHNP

Diane Ackroyd’s professional journey began in Boston, where she first served as an inpatient psychiatric RN for five years. She then pursued her Master of Science and became a Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS). This educational shift led her to a community mental health clinic, where she wore many hats—from providing adult therapy and running a long-acting medication clinic to aiding patients toward deinstitutionalization from state hospitals.

Within a year, Diane was promoted to the director of the clinic’s day program. She later left this role to establish one of the first Partial Hospitalization Programs (PHP) in the country. Her career then took her to New York City, where she initially served as a nurse manager on a psychiatric unit. Later, she transitioned into a clinical role at another NYC hospital, taking on responsibilities such as staff supervision, training programs, group therapy sessions, and emergency room consultations.

Diane was selected by her department to head the Quality Assurance Committee, especially due to her involvement in areas scrutinized by The Joint Commission. Once Clinical Nurse Specialists gained the eligibility to become Nurse Practitioners, Diane completed her post-master’s degree from NYU, where she had previously acted as a preceptor for nursing students. This additional qualification allowed her to expand her professional scope, including roles as a consultation-liaison and conducting a hospital-wide study on the use of one-to-one aides for patients.