FNP versus PMHNP?

[booney123]

I have been a BSN-RN for 6 years and I am ready to go on for my masters. I have worked with many FNP's in a variety of settings so I have a great understanding of what this role would/could entail. However, I don't really want to do that job and I would only go for it because of how broad it can be. I really want to do the PMHNP route. I am concerned it will be too narrow of a field and I won't find a job. Also, what I really want to do is private practice, and I am unsure how realistic it is that I will dive into private practice as a new grad. Several people have told me to go for the FNP and then just find a psych job.. but I don't feel this is the same. Any info or feedback would be greatly appreciated. I live in rural Vermont FYI.

[djmatte, ADN, MSN, RN, NP]

I would definitely not get a psych job as an fnp. You will find few to none hiring you and the extent of your training and realistic expectations are you might be in the position to start patients with depression and our anxiety or maybe handle refills of a clearly established and stable psych patient. The fact is the capacity of a psych np to handle both medications and the therapy component makes them infinitely the better choice for any patient with mental health disorders. If that's your passion, then go for it. Trust me the jobs will be there in far greater numbers than FNP jobs. The scope can be limiting, but the "broad" scope of fnp is slowly diminishing as employers realize they are most appropriate in primary/urgent care settings and hospitals/specialties are demanding either aacnps or PAs.