Mental Health (LPC) to PMHNP - Old guy!

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Hi all! I'm masters level, licensed in psychotherapy (LPC-S) with over 20 years in private practice, and I'm pretty good at diagnostics, treatment, and supervision. I finally have the time and resources to pursue my career-long dream of being able to prescribe to my patients, but if I go back and do a traditional BSN I will be 61 years old when I'm done! So direct entry PMHNP is the way to go, IF I can get in. Can anyone help an old guy out with a bit of information?

  1. If you've done a PMHNP program, do you think my zero RN experience related to "medical" treatment will put me at a big disadvantage for admission, or will my experience in mental health offset that? And will being 56 years old likely trigger some subtle age discrimination?
  2. If I CAN'T get into a direct entry, and need to do an accelerated BSN, have any of you ever seen a program that allows you to customize a BSN curriculum to focus on psych? Didn't think so, but why not ask? Barring that, (sheepish grin) any recommendations on an "easier" accelerated BSN? (Don't judge me - I'm close enough to my brain's expiration date I will never change career direction from Psych, sitting in my own office with a cup of coffee like I've done the past 20+ years, so the majority of what I will use is going to be at the masters level.)

Thanks for your help!

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Specializes in Adult Primary Care.

I'm not in mental health, but when I was in Graduate School I had several classmates who graduated with me in their late 50s (I was 49). Do not let that stop you. IF you have to do the traditional BSN, when you turn 61 you can either have a BSN or not have a BSN!!!!!! Wishing you the best.

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You're never too old! I started my BSN at 53 and graduated with my MSN at 56.

No, you cannot customize a BSN to focus on PMHNP. That specialization is only for MSN or DNP.

You might also consider PA school, as they can do PMH.

Good luck!

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Shibaowner, how did you finish both BSN and MSN between 53 and 56? By my count, it will take about 60 hours to do RN at the local community college, then another 30 to convert that to BSN, then about 49 to do PMHNP... (All on top of my 140 undergrad and 109 grad hours - sheesh!) It looks like a 5+ year journey if I can't get into a direct entry program somewhere. How did you do it quicker? (And if the answer is that genetically you're just a super genius, don't rub it in, lol.)

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I like that - I'm going to turn 61 regardless of what I do, right? So... go big or go home?

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Shibaowner, how did you finish both BSN and MSN between 53 and 56? By my count, it will take about 60 hours to do RN at the local community college, then another 30 to convert that to BSN, then about 49 to do PMHNP... (All on top of my 140 undergrad and 109 grad hours - sheesh!) It looks like a 5+ year journey if I can't get into a direct entry program somewhere. How did you do it quicker? (And if the answer is that genetically you're just a super genius, don't rub it in, lol.)

I did an ABSN since I already had a BA. That took 16 months. Then I did an MSN which took me 2 years. I could have done the MSN in 16 months, but I was too tired (I did AGPCNP). I'm smart, but no genius. :)

The other option is a direct entry Master's, but those are even more intense. Basically, you do the BSN in 1 year and have to pass the NCLEX after 1 year of school or you can't continue. Then it is usually 2 years to earn the MSN NP after that, so about 3 years total in general.

Anyway, if you want to be a PMHNP, with your experience you shouldn't have trouble getting into a school. I am working in mental health now. It is an advantage to have some gray hairs. Who wants to pour out their heart to someone who looks like they are 12? Life experience and maturity are important assets in mental health, IMO.

I know plenty of docs, shrinks, NPs, and psychologists who are in their 70s and 80s and still practicing.

Good luck

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Thanks for the feedback! I have this incredible tug-of-war going on… REALLY want the end result (have wanted to be PMHNP for about 20 years) but then I read the course titles in that 15 months of accelerated BSN and think, "no way can my brain do that"! I have great verbal reasoning but lousy at memorization and I think that would make the coursework hard for me. Did you have any semblance of life during the program? Like, would it be easy to maintain a caseload of five private practice patients (hour long sessions) per week during the program?

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Thanks for the feedback! I have this incredible tug-of-war going on… REALLY want the end result (have wanted to be PMHNP for about 20 years) but then I read the course titles in that 15 months of accelerated BSN and think, "no way can my brain do that"! I have great verbal reasoning but lousy at memorization and I think that would make the coursework hard for me. Did you have any semblance of life during the program? Like, would it be easy to maintain a caseload of five private practice patients (hour long sessions) per week during the program?

Memorization is a skill that can be improved, like any other skill. You will also memorize through repetition as you use the same values/meds/etc over and over. Mnemonics help me a great deal. Read "Moonwalking with Einstein" for a fascinating look at the art of memorization.

Many nursing students work part time. As long as you have good time mgt and organization skills, you should be fine.

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Specializes in Psych/Mental Health.

Current PMHNP student here. I agree that your best option is a direct-entry program (finish in 3 years). Direct-entry programs tend to be the most competitive entry route, so be sure to apply to as many programs as possible.

There might be a slight possibility for age bias, but it's impossible to know and I believe it's highly unlikely. If your pre-req GPA, recommendations, and essays are solid, you'll make a strong candidate for any PMHNP program given your extensive psych background.

In terms of lack of medical experience, it won't hold you back from Psych NP admissions (many direct-entry students have no clinical experience). But you will need to go through a considerable amount of "medical/science" curriculum in the pre-reqs, BSN, and a considerable portion of the MSN program. Pre-req classes such as A&P 1&2, microbiology, biology, and chem are decent indicators of how well you can handle clinical nursing courses. If you study hard, there shouldn't be an issue.

Good luck!

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Thanks UMBDude! I know that simply looking at credit hours doesn't give the whole picture when it comes to the number of months a program takes, so do you happen to know… If I did an accelerated BSN, which is 15 months full-time, and then applied to a regular PMHNP program, would that amount to the same three years in real time? That's the next bit of research I need to puzzle out when I have a couple of free hours. There seem to be lots of accelerated 15 mo BSN programs and very few (very expensive) direct entry PMHNP programs!

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Specializes in Psych/Mental Health.
Thanks UMBDude! I know that simply looking at credit hours doesn't give the whole picture when it comes to the number of months a program takes, so do you happen to know… If I did an accelerated BSN, which is 15 months full-time, and then applied to a regular PMHNP program, would that amount to the same three years in real time? That's the next bit of research I need to puzzle out when I have a couple of free hours. There seem to be lots of accelerated 15 mo BSN programs and very few (very expensive) direct entry PMHNP programs!

It depends on which NP programs you apply to and the timing of your BSN graduation and admission deadlines. Most likely it will take longer than 3 years because of a lag between getting your BSN degree, passing the NCLEX, and applying/accepting to NP programs.

If you're not in a rush, it's not a bad idea to get your ABSN first then work a bit as a RN. You'll get a bit more familiar with meds. There are slightly more traditional PMHNP (ie, applying after your BSN) programs. If you can find your own preceptors (ie, experienced PMHNP or psychiatrists), there are even more options such as online programs.

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Don't worry about the money. You will be getting financial aid - scholarships and loans. Apply to the schools you like and see what they give you. Often, the more expensive schools also have huge endowments so can give generous financial aid. Also, check into HRSA scholarhips. These are full ride with a living stipend. You have to commit to public service but it's great deal. You should also look beyond your school for scholarships as well. I wrote an article on this for this forum. In addition, once you graduate, if you work in certain facilities and areas, for certain employers, you may be eligible for loan repayment or forgiveness.

Check out this website:

APRN-PMH Resources - American Psychiatric Nurses Association

Johnson & Johnson also has a great website:

Johnson & Johnson Discover Nursing | Campaign for Nursing

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