Can a FNP work in a psych area?

Editorial Team / Admin · Jun 18, 2006

Hello, charleybarley,

Normally, the NPs I've encountered in the Psych area are Psych NPs.

EricJRN, MSN, RN · Jun 18, 2006

Charley,

If you like dealing with a wide range of emotional and mental states, you might consider ER. I know that many ER's hire FNP's. Might not be one psych patient after another, but emergency rooms certainly get their share.

spaniel · Jun 22, 2006

The ER is definitely a fit. In fact, I sent a pt. there 2 daqys ago and it was hard to find anyone versed in the field so my pt sawa tech. (No mind you, I wish to be egalitarian here-the tech may have superb skills. However, I am rather astonished that no MD ,P.A., or NP saw the pt, and dischardeg him back,

So-I'm sure with an interest in the field of psych you could work asn an FNP in the ER.

BUT- I also met with an advisor once re a similar question. She indicated that if the patient is in the practice that is devoted to general care,surely the FNP can presribe psychotropics. However, the reverse would not hold true. I should not work in a primarily psychiatric setting as an FNP. However, if a place has major medical components as well as psych-I wonder if it might be feasible... ideas such as acute detox...severely physically ill children with behavioral issues (severe,profoundly MR). - The reason I had initially asked an advisor this question was that there was a really cheap FNP near me/and part online. But my primary focus is psych.

ERNP · Jun 27, 2006

Well, I work ER and I see my fair share of pysch patients. However, in my state I can see them and determine they meet criteria for an involuntary admission but I can't do the involuntary admission paperwork. The paperwork says you must be a psych NP (or physician and a list of others that don't include FNP) to sign paperwork for involuntary admission to a mental health facility.

However, when I have called the mental health response team to get someone placed I have been asked why I don't sign my own involuntary admission papers. I told them because I wasn't a psych NP and the papers themselves said I couldn't.

They thought that was odd since they have a FNP working in their intake office who routinely does the involuntary admit paperwork. I haven't followed up on this, but sounds like it might be possible to work in an outpatient psych environment anyway.