Common Nursing Complaints & Psych NP's - Not As Bad?

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Hello All!

I am an aspiring Psych NP currently taking my prerequisite classes. I have been reading and searching through this board for many months now (and will continue to) in order to try and prepare myself and get a grasp of the realities of the field. I am an adult student and a career changer and have learned not to go into anything blindly. I'm quite confident that Psych and the NP role are a great fit for me...so far...

I have become aware of several trends or general concerns such as:

-The not real nursing shortage

-New grads having increased difficulty finding jobs

-Weird NP politics with doctors and regular nurses

-Differing opinions on direct entry grads (which I plan on being someday soon)

-General first job horror stories

I'm starting to get the impression that a lot of the more negative or potentially discouraging things I am reading/hearing are mainly concerns for RNs, BSNs, LPNs, and the like and revolve more around bedside nursing. I currently work in a hospital and this is also based on speaking with the NPs here.

My questions for all you Psych NPs (and other experienced NPs) are:

Is Psych, especially starting out as a Psych NP, a little different?

Is the job market for Psych and Psych NP not as bad as it for the other more popular specialties?

What's being a Psych NP really like? What should I be aware of or prepared for?

Am I correct in assuming that Psych NPs don't have to deal with as many of the trials and frustrations of bedside nursing?

Based on what Zenman and a couple other Psych NPs out there have posted, the Psych NP role sounds like a really good deal compared to other specialties and bedside nursing. I'm just trying to get a better perspective and test my naive assumptions.

Thanks so much in advance for any and all opinions and thoughts. Your wisdom and guidance are greatly appreciated.

I too wonder why the Psych Nurses are so quiet? I would really to love to hear from them!! I am very interested in Psych NP program and wish I could get words of wisdom, advice from someone in the field..

Just as I suspected…nothing but the sound of crickets….

I think this is a conspiracy designed to reduce market saturation for Psych NPs. I bet when you graduate and get your Psych NP you get nabbed on the street, thrown into the back of a van and taken to a secret location where there are bunch of Psych NPs in robes in a room full of candles with an altar. They make you swear not to divulge too much information on Allnurses.com so as not to expose how good a deal it is. The penalty for divulging too much information publicly…is well…I dare not say…

:bowingpur

We won't respond if you call us "nut burgers" as we are introducing you to operant conditioning.

Zenman was actually “dealt with” a long time ago for giving out too much good information on message boards and encouraging too many new PsychNPs. :nono: Now his profile is actually managed by a shadow writer for the Psych NP Illuminati.

I want to take this moment to thank Zenman for his sacrifice…:crying2:

Like I said, I’m on to you Psych NPs….I’m on to ya’! ;)

Honestly I think there isn't many responses as there aren't a ton of psych nurses out there. For those of you that are really interested in getting into psych, I would suggest working as a psych nurse first. It is not a job for everyone and can be emotionally draining as well as rewarding. I have seen many nurses without psych experience quit after one or two days when they realize it is not what they thought it would be. I went back into psych nursing in August 10' and started my psych np program in Jan 11' and it has been valuable having the actual experiences correlate with my education. For those that are direct entry students without any psych experience I would suggest working as an MHA (mental health associate) to really get a true understanding of this field. It is definitely not a specialty that should be chosen only because it is "in demand" or has high income potential.

It is definitely not a specialty that should be chosen only because it is "in demand" or has high income potential.

I don't think anyone here was suggesting this in any way. I was originally planning to pursue a PhD in Clinical Psychology and decided that the Psych NP path was a better choice for me for several reasons. And for the record, I currently work at a hospital, have worked in several divisions, and also volunteer in the psychiatric division.

To be clear, just because folks are aware of the income potential or high demand for something and include that concept in their discussions doesn't mean that is the only reason they are interested in it. Also, the point of this thread was to try and solicit input from those with experience in the field, due to an awareness of the potential hazards and pitfalls. Read the first post.

But I will agree with you that perhaps the lack of responses to these types of threads is mainly due to low numbers...and the iron fist of the Psych NP Illuminati....:nono:

I don't think anyone here was suggesting this in any way. I was originally planning to pursue a PhD in Clinical Psychology and decided that the Psych NP path was a better choice for me for several reasons. And for the record, I currently work at a hospital, have worked in several divisions, and also volunteer in the psychiatric division.

To be clear, just because folks are aware of the income potential or high demand for something and include that concept in their discussions doesn't mean that is the only reason they are interested in it. Also, the point of this thread was to try and solicit input from those with experience in the field, due to an awareness of the potential hazards and pitfalls. Read the first post.

But I will agree with you that perhaps the lack of responses to these types of threads is mainly due to low numbers...and the iron fist of the Psych NP Illuminati....:nono:

Hi Smoothjams, my post was not directed at you, except for the low responses part:). In general there as been an increase of posts from people seeking information regarding the psych np and some appear to have no experience in the field and do focus on the income potential and high demand. My post was directed to those with no psych experience so they can really understand what this specialty is about before jumping into a MSN or DNP program.

I don't think anyone here was suggesting this in any way. I was originally planning to pursue a PhD in Clinical Psychology and decided that the Psych NP path was a better choice for me for several reasons. And for the record, I currently work at a hospital, have worked in several divisions, and also volunteer in the psychiatric division.

lol, smoothjams, I too opted to go into this field instead of pursuing a PhD in clinical psych! And for the record, I have a strong background in mental health as well, mostly conducting assessments and differential diagnosis with clinical populations. I don't think any of us are just here for the money.

Where are you looking to apply? :)

Specializes in Psychiatric & Critical Care.

Hi all,

I'm a PMHNP and I did not have psych experience prior to becoming an NP, but that was only because I got a great offer to work as a CVICU RN instead. I've always had a love for psych but I was actually scared of it initially after my nursing school psych clinicals. Before I started my NP program I shadowed a Psych NP and loved it!! I graduated undergrad and grad school with a 4.0 and acclimated into my current role easily with no prior psych experience. I did, however, try to get as much clinical experience as possible. I opted for all of the "hard" clinical sites, like psych ERs, rehab facilities, MHMRs, etc. and I did not just sit back and watch!! I participated and tried to do as much as I could on my own and I never hesitated to ask questions or admit when I didn't know something.

I'm writing all of this to say that I don't feel that psych experience is needed to be a good Psych NP but one should truly want to make a difference in the field. I love my patients and I don't think that anyone who doesn't really want to help those with psychiatric disorders would do well at this job.

I have good days and bad days but I never leave work wanting to do anything else but this. I actually look forward to going to work (most days)!! I work 4-10 hour weekdays in a private practice seeing children, adolescents, and adults and do hospital rounds every 6th weekend. I'm in Texas and I believe that the pay typically starts in the high $90's but could easily be six figures for a new grad with good clinical experience, research experience, and good grades.

Anyway, I'm not sure if I answered the OP's initial questions but I hope that I have. I guess I'll have to sit back and await punishment for the Psych NP Illuminati!! BTW, I am willing to answer anyone's questions but I'm usually pretty busy so it might take a while.

Hey Myelin!

I am looking to apply at Yale, University of California San Fran, Columbia, and Oregon Health & Science. Their curriculums seem to be the most comprehensive as far as direct-entry programs go. U of Penn's Psych NP masters has a great curriculum too, but isn't a direct entry program :crying2:

Thanks for the input mojo. Please know that if you face the wrath of the Psych NP Illuminati, your sacrifice will have been appreciated. :yeah:

Are there any other brave Psych NPs out there who will step forward and share their perspective....?

Hey Smoothjams, good luck! I was admitted to Columbia but I will be starting at UCSF this summer for the MEPN program and will be doing family psych NP. Actually, Penn's program is direct entry. They have an accelerated BSN/MSN program, you are admitted for the BSN and your MSN specialty. I was admitted there as well and almost attended. Don't count them out, their program is really, really amazing.

I'm another "chose not to do PhD Psych" student. . .I'm going the traditional route and just finishing my RN pt (and working as a master's level therapist) before applying to an NP program. Already having one MA, I'm really afraid of maxing out on student loans.

Specializes in Psych.

Hello! I am a family PMHNP and love it. I used to get on here when I was an RN and would look for psych NP posts, but you're right, there's not a lot of us on here I don't think. I would recommend working as a psych RN first before choosing this path. It's not for everyone. Plus I think it helped grad school go so much smoother because I had a lot of clinical experience already. If you like working with this population though (which I do) then it's great. I can say I really do love my job. I work in a rural setting in Idaho so the salary isn't quite six figures, but cost of living is low here and I qualified for 100% loan repayment. Hope this helps. For anyone thinking about this route-don't be discouraged! Just get some experience first. Oh, and there are TONS of jobs. I had four different job offers before I left school and that's out here in Idaho!

Hey Baggins, thanks for the post! I am taking out significant (scary) debt for my MSN, so I'm glad to hear you were able to get loan repayment. I hope this holds true 2-3 years from now. Do you like your job? How autonomous would you say your work is?

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