Day in the life of psych NP/CNS

Specialties NP

Updated:   Published

I am considering applying to a grad program for psych NP/CNS. Before I finalize my decision, I want to know what I am getting myself into! If there are any psych NPs or CNSs on these boards, can you tell me what your day is like? I would just like a general idea. What type of facility do you work in? How much of your day is spent with medication management, therapy, etc.? Is salary competitive compared with other specialities? How common is it for a psych NP/CNS to own a private practice?

I would love to hear what other people have to say as well!

Thank you!

I'm looking for a psych/NP school.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I can recommend Rush in Chicago.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Hello everyone. I am a psychiatric/mental health nurse practitioner who graduated in 2007. I currently contract with a privately owned mental health center and with a physician, so essentially I am considered a independent practitioner.

This year has been dominated by filling out various applications for credentialing. It has been a very frustrating waiting game. Just getting a medicare number, which is required for all the other credentialing applications, took no less than four months!

As far as what I do all day, I do medication management more than anything else. I really like that aspect of my job, but you must realize that when you are seeing a patient every 15 minutes, there is no time to actually do therapy with them. While in school, I spent 45 minutes to an hour with each patient and did both med management and therapy, so this was an adjustment for me.

Working with the physician is wonderful. He and his staff are so supportive! Unfortunately, this is not the case at the mental health center. The owner of the mental health center and the therapists who work there seem to think that I am at their beck and call 24 hours a day seven days a week. There is very little support from the office staff, and I end up doing alot of clerical jobs that should be taken care of by the support staff. Lesson learned from this: if you go this route, make sure everything is spelled out explicitly in your contract!

As far as salary goes, I really can't give you an accurate estimation yet. I have worked most of this year for essentially nothing due to the time it takes to get all the credentialing in place. At both practice locations, I pay the facility a percentage. Much of the time, I am waiting for insurance payments to come in. This is getting better, but if you choose to work as an independent contractor, realize that you probably are not going to see very much money for the first year. I really wish I had known this in advance!

In the area where I live, there are very few P/MH NP's. I really wish I had known someone to ask questions of and who could have given me advice regarding contracting and the credentialing process. I think this would have made the process alot easier. If you have any questions, I will gladly try to answer them.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Thank you for the post, ladybugmo. That's a lot of good info. I see you're located in the Southeast. Are you interested in telling us where? I'm in the SE as well.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

RNOO7, I am in Tennessee.....looks like you might be also.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Yes, I am. I live and work in Maryville, aka Murvyl if you're from around here. :)

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I live in middle Tennessee, about 50 miles from Nashville. I've always wanted to live in east Tennessee. Maryville is so beautiful.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

RN007, thanks for the PM.....can't figure out how to reply to it!!! I haven't posted very much, so I may not be able to yet. I don't know exactly how that works.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Education, FP, LNC, Forensics, ED, OB.
RN007, thanks for the PM.....can't figure out how to reply to it!!! I haven't posted very much, so I may not be able to yet. I don't know exactly how that works.

General members must have 15 public board posts prior to sending private messages and/or sending emails from the allnurses.com profiles.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Thank you for the info. I seemed to remember something like that but couldn't remember the specifics!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I have been a psychNp for 2 years now, we do seem to be a rare breed. My background is in everything but psych. I have been a nurse 30years, med-surg, administration were my biggest area of interest.

Currently I work in a 200 bed general hospital. with a 12 bed inpt adult mental health unit. I carry 6 inpatints and then spend the balance of the day doing consults on in house med-surg and ER admits, some with existing mental health issues and some with new disgnosis or questions about possiblity of a psych diagnosis. They include things like depression, bipolar, substance abuse, conversion reaction, malingering and pseudoseizures.

It is usually different everyday. That's what I like about it. I chose meds, write prescritpions and work with the medical and nursing staff. I do a lot of education of staff to help make psych a little less of a scary mystery.

The compenstaion for me is straight salary I am employed by the hospital. There are quite a few opportunities to work independently, in a collaborative practice or a clinic. I also take call every 4th night and every 4th weekend.

I did my undergrad at Texas Women's in Denton Texas and my first grad degree is in Family Therapy also from Texas Women's. My NP I did as an internet study from University of Missouri at Columbia. Passed the board my first time I did a prep class prior to the board for review.

I'd be happy to answer any direct questions you may have. It is a good job pay all over the US is between 96K-145K. Lots of the rural sites have loan forgivness programs too.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Great to hear from you, LA. I'm happy to see psych NPs popping up. I started a thread the other day re: loan forgiveness. Do you have direct info, particularly how competitive and restrictive they are?

https://allnurses.com/forums/f34/nhsc-loan-repayment-program-345760.html

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Add a Comment