Mental Health NP clinicals

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If you are in an alternate discipline program and it’s time for your MH NP clinicals can you do them? They can be completely  with a social worker and can be in a rehab facility. 

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Specializes in Psych, Addictions, SOL (Student of Life).

You have run it through your case manager!

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Do you have to tell the school about the alternative program? Clinical can be with social workers and counselors.

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On 7/23/2022 at 5:39 PM, Scarlet70 said:

If you are in an alternate discipline program and it’s time for your MH NP clinicals can you do them? They can be completely  with a social worker and can be in a rehab facility. 

One thing you need to be aware of.  You are in an alternative to discipline program with a certain state.  OK, the Board isn't aware you are doing clinicals.  In order to be a MH NP, you need a MHNP license when you finish the school in that state.  So, if you turn up one day and apply for the license, the Board obviously knows you are in the alternative to discipline program and is going to ask you, "So, you are applying for your MHNP advanced practice license.......ummmmm, when did you go to school and how and where did you do Clinicals"?  Just something to think about.  My point is....the Board is going to have to know either now or later that you are either completing or have completed clinicals, so probably better to get permission NOW and not after the fact, otherwise, what if they deny you a nurse practitioner license?  If you are denied the MHNP license because you didn't get permission or tell them about your clinicals hours, then that in and of itself can lead to repremand or even probation or suspension, and one other thing, if you are ever denied a license by application, that goes into the National Practitioner Data Bank.  Remember, you aren't just an RN anymore.  We are talking about an Advanced Practice Nurse (of which I am) and you go into the Databank within 2-3 months if you are denied a nursing license by application, and check this out, if you go into the Databank, you automatically get reported to Medicaid and Medicare and could find yourself on the exclusion list for 3 years which means you can't work anywhere as an RN or NP that takes or deals with Medicaid and or Medicare.  What does that mean?  It means you aren't working ANYWHERE in the nursing profession for 3 years.  

I'm not trying to scare you, but I have been there.  I diverted and license was suspended for 1 year.  I completed recovery, did my state boards recoverying program for 3 years, but just one problem occured.  When my Advanced Practice Nurse License was suspended, I was immediately reported to the National Practitioner Data Bank which automatically refers your name to Medicare/Medicaid Exclusion for that state, and I was barred for 3 years.  I literally couldn't work anywhere as a nurse because if someone hires you, they are fined in the thousands of dollars, so if you are on this list, you simply can't work anywhere.  The only place would be a testosterone clinic.  Virtually every other medical practice has some ties to Medicaid and or Medicare.  So, completed 3 years in the state recovery program, but had to do an extra two years in monitoring because part of my requirment was to be monitored while working as a nurse for at least 2 years.

Yes, if you are denied a nursing license or advanced practice nursing license by a state, you are a given to go into the National Practitioner Data Bank which means future employers will be slightly limited (not by much, only slightly) and your insurance will be higher, but it's not a huge deal, but the Medicare Exclusion list is a monster, and it would be 50/50 of you being on that list if denied an advanced practice license, so in conclusion.......

I highly recommend getting permission for the reasons listed above.  Trust me, I have lived through some of the reprecussions.  They will give you permission if you ask.  They will not deny you.  Yes, it's a pain in as* with more paperwork and letters, but it's well worth it in the long run, I promise.

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Thx!

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One more thing.  You are in an alternative to discipline program.  You didn't say when you finish the Mental Health NP Program, but lets say your alternative to discipline program finishes BEFORE you graduate with your NP school.  OK, all is well and good, and 6 months or 1 year after finishing the alternative to discipline program, you finish your NP and apply for your APRN/NP license.  The state can easily and will see that you completed the alternative to discipline program and can look back and see if part of your requirements were to get permission to do outside clinical or school work, and if that was a requirement, they will know that part of an NP license required clinical work somewhere at some point in school, so they will find out, and when finding out, you absolutely do NOT want them to deny you the license (of which they can).  Or they could repremand you and whether denied or repremanded, you would immediately go into the National Practitioner Data Bank and then open yourself up for the Medicare/Medicaid Debarrment List which could be up to 3 years.  

Trust me....get permission.

Just now, Scarlet70 said:

Thx!

Very welcome Scarlet and best wishes to you in your recovery and Psych NP.   I don't like to give too much info about myself on here, but I am exactly one of those and I love it!  You will also.

 

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Thx. I’ll finish school before ATP. I already told them about it.

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Thx everyone for your comments but I think im going to leave nursing.

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Specializes in Psych, Addictions, SOL (Student of Life).
10 hours ago, Scarlet70 said:

Thx everyone for your comments but I think im going to leave nursing.

Leave nursing for now if you want to but whatever you do please do not surrender your license. You way want it later especially after all the work you put into an NP.  You can use your license in a number of non clinical ways so finish up your ATD (Alternative to disciplne program.) and then explore your options. 

Hppy

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Good advice. Especially if you wanted to teach or do research in areas of mental health where you basically don't do patient care, but the license being intact can help.

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Things have gotten tricker. I haven’t done the assessment yet and this non healthcare position fell into my lap. I was raised to do this kind work and it’s always has been a hobby of mine. The problem is that if the assessment says that I have to complete IOP I don’t what that time commitment is and this job is very structured and disciplined. I may not even have the time to do that part. 

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Specializes in Psych, Addictions, SOL (Student of Life).
7 minutes ago, Scarlet70 said:

Things have gotten tricker. I haven’t done the assessment yet and this non healthcare position fell into my lap. I was raised to do this kind work and it’s always has been a hobby of mine. The problem is that if the assessment says that I have to complete IOP I don’t what that time commitment is and this job is very structured and disciplined. I may not even have the time to do that part. 

I was in IOP when I was offered a full time job at a Psych facility. This was a long time ago but I basically did not have the time to do the full time job and go to treatment 4 nights a week. The CA BON allowed me to stop IOP and go to work. They stepped up my testing for a while but that was it. 

Hppy 

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