For those in BSN/MSN programs, preferably psych track

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Hi! I'm in Columbia's ETP class. I'm on the psych track, so I'll be graduating in 2018. Out of 220 of us in the program, I think around 30 are on the psych track. This is notably high compared to past years, where there were only 10-15 aspiring PMHNPs. I'm concerned about this. Does anyone notice this trend at their schools?

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Specializes in Family Nurse Practitioner.

I heard that Drexel has increased their next graduating class of PMHPNs by 4xs?

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That's so stressful. I came into this program believing that it was somewhat of a niched field. I feel like all of the sudden it became "cool," which is vexing to me, since I've been interested for years and worked really hard to get in.

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Specializes in Family Nurse Practitioner.
That's so stressful. I came into this program believing that it was somewhat of a niched field. I feel like all of the sudden it became "cool," which is vexing to me, since I've been interested for years and worked really hard to get in.

The other thing is everyone and their mother is trading in their FNP for psych because "I can do that" and our rate of pay is significantly higher. My fear is we will have a glut of new NPs who don't know psych from a hole in the ground, those who think it is easy and will be prescribing crap because they have no experience and can't competently diagnosis.

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I agree- it's such a scary thought in a field that you have to be fully dedicated to. People can switch MS specialties at Columbia during this year, which I think is a bad idea. I wrote my essay based on my love of mental health and I don't think people should be allowed to switch on a whim when someone mentions the salary or whatever :(

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Specializes in psychiatric.

My class at a brick and mortar university is the largest so far, with 11 students, 3/4 do not have direct psych experience. The school is also adding a summer program for psych and throwing them in with my cohort in the fall to make it 20+ students....they do not have an increase in faculty though, they actually have lost a professor....... Not too happy, I also feel it has become the 'in' NP specialty instead of a profession for those actually having a sincere desire to work with the mentally ill population.

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Oh man, I can't believe this is happening so dramatically in other places too. Hopefully those of us with prior psych experience and a passion for MH will shine through as far as jobs and everything go. Maybe I'm a starry eyed idealist but I don't see how you could become a pmhnp without loving it. Sounds like everyone will suffer if this becomes a thing

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Specializes in psychiatric.
Oh man, I can't believe this is happening so dramatically in other places too. Hopefully those of us with prior psych experience and a passion for MH will shine through as far as jobs and everything go. Maybe I'm a starry eyed idealist but I don't see how you could become a pmhnp without loving it. Sounds like everyone will suffer if this becomes a thing

I think that the quality employers will be able to be very selective and the places that don't care will hire any warm body (and who would want to work there). The job postings are starting to be more specific in their criteria, many are now requiring 1-2 years experience as an PMHNP, or a few years of direct psychiatric patient care as an RN. I know that if I was to compete against anyone in my current cohort for a job, I would only be worried about one other person. Honestly, the rest I would have no concerns about.

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