Advice on schooling for psych np

[future student]

Hi everyone. I am in need of some advice or feedback from those who have recently become psych np's about the route you each took to get there.

Background on me: Currently working as a case manager at a KS CMHC, have a BA in Psych, no nursing experience. Ultimately I want to become a psychiatric nurse practitioner. Had tossed around the idea of MSW to LCSW or Master's work in Pysch then an LPC, but the greater freedoms and higher pay of an NP has swayed me to want to pursue the PMHNP path. Ultimately I think I would appreciate the ability to prescribe and would not be missing out on the therapy/private practice aspect either as I am strongly considering relocation to Colorado where laws about NP scope of practice are on the looser side.

My dilemma is that I am currently stuck in Kansas for the next 2 1/2 years till approx June 2017. I am looking to return to school either at brick & mortar locations WSU or Fort Hays which are in reasonable distance for me to commute to or possibly enroll in an online program.

Questions:

Is an online degree going to hold up in this field? Is it seen as less respected? Do those of you that completed online programs with colleges that have a brick & mortar presence even disclose that information? Are online programs eligible for financial aid considerations?

Coming from a non-nursing background it seems I need to either

1. get a BSN from an accelerated program, then a Master's for the NP

or

2. find a 'bridge' program that combines the two

The problem being that I have limited options for brick and mortar makes me think the former is the only viable solution here as I have been unable to find a bridge program open to non-nurses that is also held completely online. If one exists that someone has completed PLEASE SHARE!!! That would be awesome!

Other questions:

Any thoughts on taking courses ahead of time (now or next semester) to speed up the process? I am eager to get started and don't want to 'waste' time if I can help it. I am thinking of taking a few courses this semester and next to jump start the process. In my reading on various programs most schools are okay with a certain number of courses being taken prior to enrollment in the program.

Please any feedback or thoughts about my best strategy moving forward would be awesome! As well as any experiences with online programs. Has anyone taken them and felt they missed out on not attending a traditional university? Anyone really loved it? How difficult are preceptorships?

THANK YOU!!!

[loriangel14, RN]

As a non nurse you couldn't do a bridge program all online. There would have to be a clinical component.

[future student]

Hi, Thanks for such a quick reply!!! From what I understand all those bridge programs use preceptorships in place of the clinical component which would use your community resources: hospital, mho, etc to create that clinical experience where you were located.

[loriangel14, RN]

What are they bridging from? Usually bridging programs require you to be a nurse first. Preceptorships are the same as clinical placements.

[future student]

Well, I can locate some bridging from a non-nursing bachelor's degree with no RN but those are all place-bound and I don't have that flexibility. What is confusing for me is that I can find online 2nd degree Bachelor's with no RN to BSN programs that are accelerated... and I can find online bsn to msn programs... but not any in combination that I am aware of that omits the requirement of being present on site. That would have been ideal... but after doing somewhat extensive searching I will probably have to resign to the fact that it doesn't likely exist. Was hoping someone would have experience with something like this to prove me wrong!!!

[loriangel14, RN]

You really need to be on site at some point. You will at least have to do skills labs before you can do any clinical portion of the program. Not all aspects can be learned sitting at a computer. They aren't really "bridging" programs if you don't have to be a nurse first.

[Stephalump]

Just consider what you're looking for here.

The scope of practice similar (although not equal to) a physician...and a program that's completely online with no intensive classroom time or work as a nurse, ever. I don't know if a graduate of that program would be anyone's first choice of practitioner.

So, no, that program doesn't exist. You could still do it...find an online RN program and then do an online PMHNP program, but I can't imagine you'll find it pre-packaged for you.

[LaurenJulia]

Hi future nurse!

I don't know if you'd even want my advice, for disclaimers sake I'm just now applying to nursing school. I did, however, come from a similar place as you. I decided to go for psych NP as opposed to Psy.D my junior year of college. Two more semesters and I would have had my bachelors in psychology.

You have two options: either a basic BSN or an accelerated BSN. This part has to be at a brick and mortar school, sorry. The accelerated is for people who already have a degree like you, and it cuts the program of study back by a semester. In my area it's also harder to get into, so id apply to both. Do you have your pre-reqs done? If you haven't started, you may have a good two semesters ahead of you just taking those because some pre-reqs have pre-reqs. From talking with people in the medical field it seems like the consensus is that you'll want to work as a RN for about five years before applying to NP school. Some schools don't require this, but I've been told it makes for a better practitioner and schools that don't require it are pumping professionals out too fast. After this you can apply to an online school (and employers have no stigma about this) for your masters or doctorate.

I dont know how far you've gone with your research and I hope this doesn't sound patronizing, but going this route I think you've got to fall in love with nursing as a whole. Psych is my favorite, but I'm also finding myself reading med-surg books, or neonatal. I earned my CNA and have been working as one for a few months now, so I'm finding love in the "dirty" parts of nursing we'll be exposed to. I don't think I can personally get through nursing school without a love for nursing outside of psych, but that's just me.

Good luck, I hope you find a nice home in the nursing community! :)