Can Psych NPs wear suits to work?

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This may be a silly questio, but I'm sincerely interested in psych nursing and would like further insight into work environment and work attire specifically. I'm a firm believer in the look your best do your best idealogy. Can psych nps wear suits to work?

Also are there a lot of male psych nps?

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Specializes in Outpatient Psychiatry.

Probably not.

Not many male NPs.

Not many male nurses.

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@zenman - whats a CAC?

Common Access Card. Mine is used to get on post and access my computer

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Really, even those with a MBA? At the teaching hospital where I work we wear white lab coats on the inpatient psych unit like the rest of the providers in the facility. Even my most psychotic patients are cognizant of the fact that I'm a provider and not another patient or some stranger off the street so the lab coat hasn't been a problem. Personally I think dressing professionally shows respect not disdain. My outpatient job is at an upscale clinic and if I didn't wear a suit my largely professional clientele would think I'm the loser.

Your upscale client might be a different matter, but in my extensive career, 40 + years, I've never seen anyone wear a white coat on a psych unit. It's actually dangerous. Hope you don't also wear a tie.

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Specializes in Family Nurse Practitioner.
Your upscale client might be a different matter, but in my extensive career, 40 + years, I've never seen anyone wear a white coat on a psych unit. It's actually dangerous. Hope you don't also wear a tie.

Interesting, where have you worked inpatient? What exactly makes a white coat dangerous?

In this area at all the inpatient psych units I'm aware of and/or have worked the providers wear white lab coats including Johns Hopkins and University of Maryland.

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Specializes in Outpatient Psychiatry.
Your upscale client might be a different matter, but in my extensive career, 40 + years, I've never seen anyone wear a white coat on a psych unit. It's actually dangerous. Hope you don't also wear a tie.

I did most of my training at a VA hospital. Excluding the actual psychiatrists, the rounding internists/hospitals, PAs, and Pharmacists all wore lab coats in the inpatient unit. I didn't. I've never had one.

I still think dressing professionally is beneficial. I prefer the boundary, if you will, that comes with dressing differently than the patients in my clinic.

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Specializes in Brain Illnesses.

It depends where you work, whether or not you can or do wear a suit. In outpatient, certainly. In hospital, some hospitals everyone - EVERYONE - wears a kind of scrub, then white coat.

Bigger issue: do you know what it is like to work as a psych NP? In your state? If you were going to have a private practice in YOUR state, is it legal? (in 2 states it is NOT).

Also important: are you thinking about becoming a psych/mental health NP because you like both the psychotherapy and the med management parts? Because if you were thinking that NPs are ever allowed to do psychotherapy, despite MSN programs focusing over 3/4 of your specialty training on psychotherapy (and just 1/4 on the med mgt), be in for a surprise. We're not allowed to do psychotherapy. Not allowed.

It is a matter of economics. the goal of a hospital or private practice is to make a profit. You can race through at least 4 psych patients you've never met, per hour, prescribing what you guess might work, and earn that psychiatrist a TON of money, and get paid a teeny part of it. You have a job, the job is to get the psychiatrist richer without her/him doing anything but providing the office. The qualifying thing during an interview for outpatient jobs is "what is your throughput?" ("how many per hour can you see")?.......the more patients you can see per hour, the better. You will NEVER be allowed to actually talk to, or have time to even really look at, a patient.

Hospital, same thing. Race through your patients doing their med reviews, then run to the office to chart - you don't get paid overtime. YOU pay your CEUs - and do them at midnight because it's nasty to use an unpaid day or vacation day (if you're lucky and get those) for CEUs. You pay your own medical .

Do I regret having done this? Every single day. Every. day. As do my classmates and colleagues - most of which are NOT working as NPs, most between 2-11 years out of MSN program.

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Specializes in Brain Illnesses.

You found jobs as a new grad? Wow! In the state where I live, there were no jobs then, and there are no jobs now. They pay NPs about the same as RNs but PAs make over $120,000. Worst decision of my life, this MSN. May I ask what state or area of the country you are in? I am desperate, after 10 years+ of trying to hang on, to get out of this place, if there is a state we can work and are not treated as low-grade scuts who get paid a dollar more than an RN.

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Specializes in Brain Illnesses.

Agree. I think it is pretentious - the white coat is also pretentious and designed to show who is boss. I don't like it. It's a status thing. The patients KNOW you are a provider - but you are also supposed to be approachable, and the office or the unit is not a bank. Those suits and white coats put up a barrier. Which reminds me - years ago a psychiatrist friend changed from wearing business casual, to a suit (dress shirt, tie, suit pants) and white coat..............Found out that even patients he already knew were more reserved and quiet, didn't talk as much, didn't tell him as much, as when he dressed the way he had......Actual studies have shown similar results - and we don't know how much HIS behavior was changed by his clothing, and this was offputting for the patients......

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Specializes in Forensic Psychiatric Nursing.

Nope.

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You found jobs as a new grad? Wow! In the state where I live, there were no jobs then, and there are no jobs now. They pay NPs about the same as RNs but PAs make over $120,000. Worst decision of my life, this MSN. May I ask what state or area of the country you are in? I am desperate, after 10 years+ of trying to hang on, to get out of this place, if there is a state we can work and are not treated as low-grade scuts who get paid a dollar more than an RN.

PMHNP - I have read a couple of your posts. I hope that you can find success and happiness in this field. I know there are jobs out there and MDs that respect what we can offer as providers. What state are you in? Have you thought about moving? My understanding is that there are plenty of jobs for PMHNPs in some parts of the country. Have you thought about finding a recruiter or looking into the VA? Perhaps moving to a state where you have autonomy and can open your own practice...

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Specializes in Psychiatric Nursing.

PMHNP- I am surprised there is a state where psych PA's are more highly regarded than Psych NPs. I have been doing psych locum tenens the last few years- MA NH and MN. My services have been very appreciated. I have been with staff care, have talked with advanced practice, Barton, and Rhino. There are a lot of psych np jobs. I would love to know which state you are in so I will avoid it!

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