Any Pmhnps here??

I would first be interested in learning the reason for your dismissal from medical school prior to giving any advice on becoming a PMHNP.

I have seen Psych NPs who can see their patients, usually in 15 minutes, and decide on an appropriate course of action do quite well. Loans all paid off, some money in the bank.

I have seen Psych NPs who cannot do that flounder, ie 15 or 20 years later, loans still not paid off.

Most PMHNPs perform similar duties to psychiatrists. They assess pts, formulate a diagnosis, prescribe treatments including medication, and are trained to provide psychotherapy although they are less likely to do so in many positions since it is much cheaper to hire therapists without prescriptive authority and keep the PMHNPs managing medications. I don't have any hard data on this but in my experience there is a slight tendency for PMHNPs to work in various outpatient settings although they are certainly qualified and able to care for inpatients as well. Some work in a specialized area of psychiatry such as substance abuse, consultation/liaison, or forensics. Within the last decade, a change was made requiring all new PMHNPs to be trained across the lifespan so all programs will include training to treat adults, child, adololescents, and older adults. You can certainly specialize in practice but training and certification require a lifespan scope.

Vanderbilt does not have an accelerated BSN program but rather a direct entry masters program which includes te prespecialty year training as a basic RN followed by the specialty. Maybe that's a nit picky detail but you're only admitted once and if you leave the program before finishing, you wouldn't receive any degree (although if you finish the prespecialty year and pass the NCLEX you would still have a license but not all states or employers with accept a nursing license without a degree in nursing).

Yes to the last comment. At Vandy, you do not earn a BSN. They do not have an undergrad nursing program. If you don't have a BSN currently, you apply to the "Prespecialty Entry" option, which is the year before the MSN year (though for them, still not technically considered undergrad). The full-time program is two years in length. After one year, you sit for the NCLEX, but have no degree. You then enter your graduate year and after the second year, earn your MSN.

On 9/3/2018 at 9:39 PM, kgpremed13 said:

Okay, so I am thinking of doing the accelerated BSN then PMHNP program at Vanderbilt. My academic past is complicated, I use to be a med student but got dismissed. I just want to know, what type of work do you guys do day to day, how easy is it to find a job, and what is the pay like?

Get a job in psych nursing or in a psych setting. Do you have any idea at all what it's like to deal with an acutely psychotic pt? I'm not a big fan of the direct entry NP stuff. There is a reason why PA schools require clinical hours prior to admission. This whole direct entry thing is not good for the profession.

I notice the one thing you don't mention at all is that you actually care about psychiatry. At least go to nursing school and figure out if you like your psych rotations.

There are a lot of sick people in a lot of dire need in psychiatry and they don't need "providers" who are in it for the cash or a cush position. Not saying you are one of these, but it sounds like you need a bit of a reality check.

4 hours ago, SecobarbSundae said:

I'm not a big fan of the direct entry NP stuff. There is a reason why PA schools require clinical hours prior to admission. This whole direct entry thing is not good for the profession.


To be fair, many PA programs will accept something as ridiculous as working in a hospital as a transporter as clinical experience so long as you have the hours. While I do agree that DE programs aren't ideal, let's keep some perspective on the realities of what PA programs require as if they are somehow elevating the bar.

7 hours ago, djmatte said:

To be fair, many PA programs will accept something as ridiculous as working in a hospital as a transporter as clinical experience so long as you have the hours. While I do agree that DE programs aren't ideal, let's keep some perspective on the realities of what PA programs require as if they are somehow elevating the bar.

That may be true, but at least there is some barrier. At least it requires you to be in a healthcare environment before you gain the privilege of becoming a practitioner.

Let's also not forget PA training requires you to complete a part of medical training. I would argue that the whole idea of nurse practitioner training was predicated on the assumption that trainees would have years of RN experience. The relative lack of clinical hours reflects this. But, now you have programs offering a curricula that was designed on the presumption of preexisting clinical competency to people that haven't even seen the inside of a hospital or clinic.

Your point is taken well, but I'm not meaning to set PA training over and above what NPs receive. I meant only to point out the huge problem with turning people into NPs overnight.