Advice on Opening Mental Health Clinic in Nevada as FNP

verene, MSN · Jul 8, 2021

I would STRONGLY recommend waiting to open a private practice mental health clinic until you are credentialed as PMHNP and preferably spend a year or two working in private practice with someone else before branching out. My understanding is that treating severe mental illness would be out of scope for you, and in private practice as FNP - what happens when what you think is a case of depression turns out to be unstable bipolar disorder? Or what seems to be depression and anxiety in a young adult turns out to be prodrome for first psychotic break in schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder? If it was your friend or family member in this scenario would you be comfortable with some one with your training, skill set and back ground being the solo individual providing them with care? If there was a negative outcome and you had to testify in a court of law to your care - would you be able to state that you were with in your scope of practice and had adequate training, experience, skill set, and supports to be providing the care you did? (mental health has a higher rate of litigation compared to other specialties). If you called the BON and told them your plan - do you think they would support it or not? If the answer to any of these questions is "no" -- don't do it.

Both mental health disorders and the medications used to treat them can result in life threatening complications. I love working in this field and working as a PMHNP is one of the most rewarding things I've done in my life, but you MUST be doing this work for the patients. You owe it to yourself, and even more to your future patients to step into this role of providing mental health services well prepared and with a clear understanding of the work you are stepping into and the vulnerabilities of the populations we treat.

VanNuysRN, BSN, MSN · Jul 21, 2021

Verene,

Thank you for your reply. I appreciate your help and information!