Family PMHNP

[pro-student]

With the changes to NP certifications that came with the Consensus Model, the adult and child/adolescent psych NP is being phased out in favor of the family or lifespan psych NP. I'm curious what others think about this.

It really baffled me since mental health care for adults and children is so different. On the medical side,psychiatrist are trained as generalist (focused on adult) with child/adolescent psychiatry considered a subspecialty. Most other mental health providers are trained for age-specific populations as well (clinical psychologists, mental health counselors, social workers). I know there's been to family psych NP around for some time as an option but it seem strange to me to require new PMHNPs to cover the whole lifespan when their interest/skills may be with only a particular age group.

I know part of the reason for the change involves the shortage of child psych providers similar to the merging of adult and gero NPs. But geriatrics is already part of adult specialties and with an aging population, the added gero content makes much more sense.

[elkpark]

I think it stinks and is a big step backwards, but I find the nursing PTB never care what I think.

(I'm one of the child psych CNSs who is being kicked to the curb by the ANCC.)

[TashaLPN2006RN2012, ASN, RN]

I'm not there yet, as I'm getting ready to start FNP school, but, I think that even if a person takes a "family" psych, they are still going to be specializing. It's probably a cheaper way to condense all into one pretty little package. This was one reason I chose a school for FNP versus PNP/AG/ANP- because here in FL ALL the job offerings ask for an FNP as being required, with specialty being "preferred"

[harmonizer]

I think Family PMHNP is fine but they should extend the courses and length of the education significantly to cover the necessary contents by requiring all PMHNP programs to be converted to DNP. And also the annoying part is that if you are already Adult PMHNP and wanting to add child component for Family PMHNP, then good luck on the long road. Most school do not offer bridge program and you will have to repeat all clinical courses over!! It is because all the courses were already watered down to "life-span" I like consensus model but I do not agree with diluting the quality of education.