MS Psychiatric Nursing with no experience?

Psychaprn · Jun 8, 2005

Do you think it is possible for an RN with no hospital experience (except for clinicals in a BSN Program taken 35 years ago and clinicals taken in a refresher course two years ago) to get an online MS in psychiatric nursing, which includes clinicals, and go on to work as a psychiatric nurse?
I have spent the last 30 years as an elementary school teacher, and I am 58 years old.

SORRY, I THINK IT'S A RECIPE FOR DISASTER! MOST OF MY KNOWLEDGE CAME FROM MY WORK EXPERIENCES AS A BSN THEN AN MS. I WOULD BE AFRAID YOU COULD BE INJURED OR OVERWHELMED. I WOULD TRY TO WORK FIRST THEN GET YOUR MASTER'S IF YOU'RE SURE IT'S WHAT CALLS TO YOUR HEART.

krisssy · Sep 12, 2005

Well the problem is that I cannot get a job. So I am thinking of

1. Get my master's in psych nursing.

2. Take another med surg refresher course after that-with clinicals

3. Get a job as a staff nurse in a drug rehab .

4. When I am ready, get a job as a psychiatric nurse practitioner in a drug rehab?

What do you think?

Whispera, MSN, RN · Sep 24, 2005

Lots of Master's programs won't accept you without experience. To be a psych NP, and be certified, which is often required, you have to have experience as a generic psych nurse first. I think you'd need generic experience before being a psych NP anyway. It's very helpful to have learned about the whole picture (I'm a psych CNS (somewhat similar to being a psych NP) with experience in drug rehab and found that my experience was worth more than gold).

Some hospitals will give you a wonderful orientation to help you relearn skills, both Med-Surg and psych, so you don't have to pay to do the re-learning, but get paid to do it! Check into that sort of thing. Places are trying hard to get nurses back into nursing.

A job in drug rehab would be a wonderful thing if you want to be a psych NP in drug rehab. You'd get to see what happens, and it would be a "foot in the door." You might also decide you don't like it and be glad you didn't spend the time, money, and agony needed to get the NP in that particular field.

CharlieRN · Sep 24, 2005

More power to you. I'm your age, with 25 yrs experience in psych, and I just desided that there was not enough left of my working life to justify the effort of getting a master's degree. Then again, I'm employed full time.

I'm not sure I would want to work with or under a NP with so little practical experience. NP's at my institution function in the same role as MD's.

Psych is largely an experience taught field. Good psych practitioners are the ones who both have a naturally high level of sensitivity and have a wealth of experience to draw on, regardless of their level of education. I know "mental health workers" that is, pysch nursing assistents, who are very effective therapists inspite of their lack of degrees. Unfortunately you don't need to be sane to go to school and get a degree in psych. Nor does such a degree carry emotional stablity with it. Clinical experience in an institutional setting, supervised by and surronded with supportive, insightful peers does however help alot with emotional growth. At the least it helps weed out the crazies.

krisssy · Oct 7, 2005

Thank you all for your advice and experience. Unfortunately, I cannot work right now, because I am recovering from two abdominal surgeries. I have been in a lot of pain and have been just diagnosed with an injured abdominal muscle due to the surgeries. So through a pain center that the surgeon recommended, I am going to be going for accupuncture and physical therapy. I thought that I would like to get involved in an online graduate program in nursing while I was recovering from my surgeries. I was an elementary school teacher for 25 years after being a school nurse teacher for two years for anyone who does not know my background. I did take a refresher course, and I did quite well considering. I can see your point re. being a psych nurse practitioner. I really just want to be a psych or rehab nurse. I realize now that I am not qualified to be a nurse practitioner-any other ideas for an online nursing education while I am recovering? I wish they had programs where I could just get a master's in nursing without the practitioner part. My thought is that I could get the education online, and when I am fully recovered do my clinicals and then get a job as a psych or rehab nurse.

As far as nurses who may have emotional problems, I don't think you can say that just because someone worked as a psych nurse for upteen years, she or he is necessarily stable emotionally. As you can see even just reading this website, there are nurses with emotional problems everywhere, including psych floors. All you have to do on this site is read the threads about nurses with mental illness and nurses who have diverted medications to know this is true. Nobody, in the nursing proferssion or anywhere else, doesn't have some kind of problem whether it be emotional, physical, marital, trauma based and I could go on and on. Sometimes people who have been through emotional traumas and recovered are very empathetic which is so important in nursing. Look at the addiction field for an example. Recovered addicts helping addicts or alcoholics is very common. There are some rehabs where most of the employees are recovering people. I don't think we should be labeling anyone as a "crazy". People, including professionals, get sick, and then they get well and can make great nurses!

beckbBSN · Oct 8, 2005

I am a BSN who works with mental retardation and developmental disabilities. I am working on my psych NP. I have only been a nurse for 2 years. In that 2 years I have done a lot of work with different patients psych and nonpsych. What I have learned from my co-workers is that you can do anything you put your mind to.

Here is the kicker- I am a recovering alcoholic, clean and sober for 10 years. I have Bipolar disorder, panic attacks, and PTSD. I take daily medication and xanax prn. I have never diverted medications. And I function at my job every day! I go to my own therapy.

So should I be in psych? I will only let myself decide.:wink2:

krisssy · Oct 8, 2005

BeckbBSN, Thank you so much for your post. You sound like you must be a wonderful nurse, and you will be a wonderful psych. nurse practitioner. Yes, I have always thought that people can do whatever they put their mind and heart to. I, too, have suffered greatly from PTSD which sometimes did lead to panic attacks. But I am an extremely caring empathetic person, and I want to work with psych patients, because I think I would do a great job. If I did a great job as an elementary school teacher with becoming teacher of the year and being highly respected, mentoring other teachers, having the children and parents love me, I feel I can do the same in nursing. I have a BSN, so the only way for me to go is for an MSN. I already have a master's in education. Because I am caring, non judgemental, extremely empathetic, and really WANT to do this, I think I can do it. But having a boost from you has helped me not to be discouraged. I would LOVE to work in the field of mental retardation and developmental disabilities. I even have experience in developmental disabilitities from my teaching career. How do you go about getting a job like that? You have really given me a great idea of how I could possibly use my experience from one field in another field. Again, thank you for your honesty, encouragement, and empathy for where I am and what is truly in my heart. Also, I find that when I am helping others, I really feel a whole lot better emotionally and tend to forget about my own poroblems. In teaching, we all used to say how true that was. The bottom line is that EVERYONE has had or does have some sort of problem- otherwise THEY would not be normal-whatever that is. Sorry for rambling, but I was so encouraged and touched by your post that you made my day a happy one!. Thanks again. We never know whose heart we are going to touch when we make a post. Bless you. Krisssy PS What school are you attending for master's?

krisssy · Oct 8, 2005

BeckbBSN-because of you and your encouragement, I have just submitted my psychiatric nurse practitioner graduate application! :lol2: :wink2: Thank you so much! krisssy

mona b RN, BSN, RN · Oct 10, 2005

Do you mind if I ask what online grad program you are talking about?

Best of luck to you, you can do it:)

BeckbBSN-because of you and your encouragement, I have just submitted my psychiatric nurse practitioner graduate application! :wink2: Thank you so much! krisssy

chris_at_lucas_RN, RN · Oct 10, 2005

I would not waste my time on an MSN. If you want to do psych nursing, go apply.

You should be a shoo-in, especially for a child/adolescent unit. Psych isn't the best paid, so there is less competition for the slots. I have a BA and an MA, plus am licensed as a marriage and family therapist with 15 years post license experience in all levels of care. This got me a big $1.00 over the GN hire rate!

If you want to get the MSN, sure, go get it. But if you want to work in psych, just go apply. I think you'll be surprised at how fast you are hired, how much you enjoy the work, and how little you need in terms of additional schooling.

Go for it! (And let us know how it turns out!)

krisssy · Oct 10, 2005

Oh thanks Chris for the encouragement. The problem is that I just had two abdominal surgeries, and I am not able to work now-still recovering. So I thought in the meantime, I could learn online everything I can about Psychiatric Nursing. I was offered psych jobs, but I wanted to take a med surg refresher course first, and I did. Then I needed this abdominal surgery which turned into two surgeries, enormous pain from complications etc. I will eventually be well enough to work. I am thinking that if I get into the master's program, I will learn as much as I can about Psych nursing, and when I am well get a job as a psych. nurse. I can always finish the program while I am working or not finish it if I feel I don't need it. I know I am not qualified to be a psychiatric nurse practitioner! I am kind of insecure, so when I get positive feedback like yours, I start getting all excited that I can do this. I am thinking I would be good at child or adolescent psych or even working as a nurse with people with developmental disabilities. In the job interviews I went to, they were impressed with my teaching experience and my MA and BSN-just a little leery about my lack of strong med surg skills-but they were willing to teach me. Anyway, thanks again for the emotional boost. Take care. Krisssy What kind of psych. nursing do you do?