Does the National Guard or Reserves (for any branch) take Psychiatric Nurse Practitioners?

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I live in Texas, and I'm in a Psych NP program. I've always thought about joining the military someday, and I was curious if there were any options in terms of Reserves or National Guard for joining as a Psych NP. Thank you!

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Specializes in NP / USAFR Flight Nurse.

It is very base specific. I live in the Tampa area and my closest base is MacDill. When I initially began the process of commissioning there was no need for NPs on base and I was offered a flight nurse job. It was either take the opportunity as a flight nurse or nothing, so I took it. I work for the VA as a NP and for the USAF reserves as a nurse.

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Specializes in Psychiatry.
On 5/27/2019 at 1:50 PM, Danish said:

It is very base specific. I live in the Tampa area and my closest base is MacDill. When I initially began the process of commissioning there was no need for NPs on base and I was offered a flight nurse job. It was either take the opportunity as a flight nurse or nothing, so I took it. I work for the VA as a NP and for the USAF reserves as a nurse.

Did your nursing experience, nurse practitioner or otherwise, lend itself to a flight nurse role? If not that versatility is interesting.

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I definitely wouldn't have taken a flight nurse job if I were an NP. That's not my role and what I got educated for. Would the military ask an OB/GYN to consider a role as a neurologist if there were no open spots for an OB/GYN? Of course not. I don't know the first thing about flight nursing (do they even teach skills related to that in nursing school? My BSN program sure didn't!). But I do know it isn't psych NP.

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Specializes in Psychiatry.
1 minute ago, Naturally Brilliant said:

I definitely wouldn't have taken a flight nurse job if I were an NP. That's not my role and what I got educated for. Would the military ask an OB/GYN to consider a role as a neurologist if there were no open spots for an OB/GYN? Of course not. I don't know the first thing about flight nursing (do they even teach skills related to that in nursing school? My BSN program sure didn't!). But I do know it isn't psych NP.

Some may prefer military service and officership over a specific area of concentration and holding out for that. I never worked psych as a RN (or had psych clinicals), but I knew from Day 1 that I wanted to be an outpatient psych NP. Nursing school provided no training relevant to my job as an ER RN prior to becoming a NP.

I submitted everything and will wait for board for psych NP, but at this point I, personally, would be content with military service rather than being a reservist who's a psych NP. I got delayed last year due to a medical waiver that took literally forever. However, at this point, I'm not sure I have any other nursey skills.

As an aside, at my age, the only way into the army is among the direct commission medical folk.

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Aren't you supposed to work at your highest level of your license? Years before I was an RN, I worked as a clinical assistant and even had a CNA license by the Texas Department of Aging and Disability Services (DADS). Sure, technically, I could work as a clinical assistant again, but why would I when I'm an RN now? I'm not sure why an NP would go back to working below their level of education and board certification.

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Specializes in Psychiatry.
Just now, Naturally Brilliant said:

Aren't you supposed to work at your highest level of your license? Years before I was an RN, I worked as a clinical assistant and even had a CNA license by the Texas Department of Aging and Disability Services (DADS). Sure, technically, I could work as a clinical assistant again, but why would I when I'm an RN now? I'm not sure why an NP would go back to working below their level of education and board certification.

As a civilian employee absolutely not. At least, I wouldn't. Actually, I only work to earn a living so for the sake of bread winning I'd leave nursing today for a permanent position I'd like paying me more, lol. However, in parallel to your thesis, how about a NP who becomes an administrator or a professor? MDs have the same conundrum.

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Well, with respect to being an administrator or a professor, those jobs generally require at least a Masters-level education anyway. I don't think one is necessarily practicing "below their educational level" when they move into an auxiliary role. Sure, as a hypothetical, if you were offered an RN-level role that paid substantially more than your NP-level education, it might be difficult to say no to that. But I would be loath to stay in something that didn't suit my training or qualifications for the long-term.

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Specializes in Hospice, corrections, psychiatry, rehab, LTC.
3 hours ago, Naturally Brilliant said:

Aren't you supposed to work at your highest level of your license?

You're not required to. The only requirement is for you to hold a license for the level at which you are practicing.

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Specializes in NP / USAFR Flight Nurse.
On 5/28/2019 at 5:43 PM, PMHNP Man said:

Did your nursing experience, nurse practitioner or otherwise, lend itself to a flight nurse role? If not that versatility is interesting.

My ED and ICU experience has helped quite a bit, but I am learning a lot. I work full time as an NP for the VA still and am only reserve as a flight nurse.

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Specializes in NP / USAFR Flight Nurse.
20 hours ago, Naturally Brilliant said:

I definitely wouldn't have taken a flight nurse job if I were an NP. That's not my role and what I got educated for. Would the military ask an OB/GYN to consider a role as a neurologist if there were no open spots for an OB/GYN? Of course not. I don't know the first thing about flight nursing (do they even teach skills related to that in nursing school? My BSN program sure didn't!). But I do know it isn't psych NP.

Not exactly apples to apples here. I have 17 years ICU and ER experience as an RN and have only been a vascular surgery NP for less than a year. I WANTED to fly. I am reserves and I still work full time for the federal govt as an NP. My goal was to serve and to retire with two pensions, which I do and I will.

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Specializes in NP / USAFR Flight Nurse.
16 hours ago, Orca said:

You're not required to. The only requirement is for you to hold a license for the level at which you are practicing.

Nope. I work full time as an NP and part time (Reserves) as an RN.

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