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.
