Can an FNP practice in mental health?

[RNwannbe]

Hey all. I'll cut to the chase. I was in a masters program for psych when I bailed out to pursue my BSN. I graduate in May 2014. I wanted more career options and nursing seemed to be the way to go. I plan on pursuing a NP degree but in which specialty I am now unsure. I really enjoy mental health and have family and friends with mental health practices, so I would be assured a job. I also am obsessed with acute care ( ICU, ED, CVICU, NICU). It is all so awesome to me and I don't want to limit myself. So here is my question:

Is it possible for me to specialize as a FNP and earn additional credentials/education in mental health that would allow me to practice in both acute care and mental health? Or do I just need to man up, pick a specialty and run with it? In my fantasy world I'd have an NP and my full time job would be at a hospital ICU while working part time at a pediatric mental health clinic. Can I make this fantasy a reality? Thanks

[Psychcns]

Of course

ACNP for the acute care and PMHNP for the pediatric clinic

However to keep up both certifications you need clinical hours in each

[GardenofEdith]

If you want to work in ICUs, then you may want to consider the acute care specialty rather than the FNP. You could get your ACNP and then get a post master's certification in psych. You would have to maintain both certifications, however. My advice would be to shadow both an ACNP and a PMHNP, see which one you could see yourself doing more in the near future, and then later on decide whether or not you want to tack on a post master's certification in another specialty.

Some FNPs do get jobs in psych, but in my opinion it is a disservice to the patients. The patients deserve to have their medications managed by someone who has extensive training in psychopharmacology. FNPs do get training in psychopharmacology, but it is no where near the amount that PMHNPs do. I cannot speak to whether or not FNPs get hired in ICUs, but they do get hired in ED.

[harmonizer]

I do not know about ACNP. But I think the same rules applies to FNP.

Yes, FNP can "legally" practice in psych in "some states." However, this is limited to certain states- esp. the states with limited level independence. In those states, NP is strictly supervised or required to collaborate with physicians-- therefore, their specialty may adapted and expanded based on the specialty of the supervising / collaborating physician regardless of their experience and training. I do not agree with it but this is allowed in some states. At least, I know that Texas, , Oregon, Washington, Arizona do not allow this nonsense. I think you can do this with Massachusetts. If this is the case, what is the value of getting NP specialty? Just eradicate all specialties and we can just be a generalist like PA education. I would go for FNP route first since it is the most flexible specialty with abundance of jobs and then get post-graduate in something else later.

[nomadcrna, DNP, CRNA, NP]

About the most mental health is standard depression in the clinic. Anything else would be questionable

[BCgradnurse, MSN, RN, NP]

I agree with the others. I'm an FNP and certainly don't feel competent to safely practice in mental health. I can deal with straightforward, uncomplicated anxiety or depression, but I'm out of my league with anything else. Get the education and certification to be a psych NP if that's what you want. If you want to pursue the ACNP route, do so, but then you'll have to do a post-masters certification in psych if you also want to work in that area.