I think after four or five years of stewing on this, I have decided to start down the path of nursing education, leading toward a PMHNP (family). I have a BA in psych, an MS in social justice studies, and an MSW in direct human service work. My prior work history includes running a DV shelter, working in boys' residential treatment and therapeutic foster care, ER social work (which I loved, loved, loved!), and now providing youth and family mental health crisis response.
I see really clearly how having additional training on psychopharm and prescriptive authority would be really helpful. Plus, child and adolescent mental health has rather picked me as a specialty. I never intended to be "that annoying lady who tells you how to parent your kid but doesn't have any of her own."
In addition, I FINALLY completed my WFR (wilderness first responder) 10 day training. It's been on my to-do list since 2004. It was some of the best training I've ever had in ANYthing. It helped me to realize exactly how excited I get learning medical stuff. Given my interest in emergency medicine, I wonder if I wouldn't be better off doing an FNP (focusing on acute care), or stopping after by RN to get some ER nursing experience.
I took one biology and one Chemistry class when I was an undergrad music major 20 years ago (EGAD INDEED!) now. So I will obviously have my hands full with prerequisites for a while. I've decided to start with the nutrition class to see how it goes.
So I'm looking at at least 6 prerequisite courses-- 2 Chemistry, Microbiology, 2 anatomy and physiology, plus the nutrition. I have the statistics and developmental psych, as long as they aren't required to be in the last 10 years.
Then *hopefully* an accelerated BSN program, and then into a DNP program for three years.
I am working full time in the crisis response program, and it doesn't leave me with lot of extra energy for volunteering because of the level of self-care required to do my job well. Do you think this will count as "hands-on" health care experience because I'm in and out of emergency rooms and IPU (inpatient psych units) all day long?
I want to make my application really competitive, and assume I will probably get mostly As with maybe a B for my science classes.
Any words of advice or encouragement as I start exploring down this path?
Oh, also, editing to add that I am *really* committed to working with under-served populations. Anyone have experience with loan forgiveness programs for PMHNP work?
Next week is midterms. Officially half-way through with the BSN.
?
Right now we are in Child/Family I, which is OB. Clinicals are 7 hours every Saturday. OB clinicals seem to be a lot of observation and not as much hands-on. Yesterday my primary job was to snuggle a 2 week old baby in the NICU for NAS.
Also in Research right now, which I would LOVE to be able to test out of. Unfortunately testing out isn't an option for my program "because you have to have a nursing evidence based practice class." I've more or less made made my peace with it.
I keep this index card by the bookshelf in my office at work. It's really gratifying to check off classes at the end of each semester.
We had Genetics and Genomics on line for the Summer. Child and Family 2 was peds, which also was on line because COVID ruins everything. Clinicals were also on line as well, which I understand but feel like I'm missing out when we do case studies instead of actual hands-on patient care. On the flip side, I'm grateful we won't have to delay graduation or make up hours.
Heading into psych MH for 5 semester credits and a 1 credit senior seminar that seems to be geared toward NCLEX prep. I suspect I'll appreciate that seminar more since we haven't been able to take HESI exit exams.
The university physically closed mid-March and will be re-opening for on-campus students in Sept. The original plan was to have classes on line for the first 2 weeks so students living on campus but traveling from out of state could quarantine. The new plan is our psych MH class will be on line, and our clinicals will also be on line this semester. I'm really grateful for that as a non-traditional student who works in community health. I'm also a little sad that my cohort won't get in person clinicals for psychMH because this is the only time many of them will get the opportunity to try psych.
Ah well, we improvise and adapt, and continue to move forward.
I'd like to update the little index card that hangs in my office soon because there are only 4 squares of coursework left to fill in.
However, I'm currently with my parents to help out with a health issue (liver and/or liver-kidney transplant for someone). I've been here since just before Halloween, and am hoping to be home before Christmas, but it really just depends on what happens with organ offers.
I've suddenly become the person in my family who interprets what doctors say. It's cool to see my knowledge of underlying disease processes come into play. Also glad that I already know the phrase, "I don't know the answer to that. Let's put it on the list of questions for next time" from social worker life.
I'm currently negotiating with myself about full-time vs part-time for the MSN.
There are quite a few people at my community health center saying things like, "Just hurry up and get it done because we need you, and you can do your clinical placements here." That feels like a nice vote of confidence.
I have been imagining part time MSN due to financial reasons, but there is a cost-benefit argument to be made for getting done sooner because my salary will increase significantly when I'm working as a psychNP compared to LCSW, even in a community health center. The bad news is my work has no tuition benefit. The good news is we are a "high need" scorer for mental health under the HRSA scoring.
I'm currently negotiating with myself about full-time vs part-time for the MSN.
Having read your posts over the years and being a PMHNP myself now, I would suggest going full-time and get it done asap. A year of loss salary is very significant for PMHNPs. Loan repayment is not guaranteed and I know folks who have applied many times but couldn't get it.
Also, avoid promising to stay at your current job. Community health centers are usually lower paid with hectic scheduling. You'll most likely have a variety of options as a new grad and it's good to keep your doors open.
Thanks for the pro-tips, umbdude. I appreciate your following this thread over the years.
I was trying to talk the nursing program into applying for a workforce development grant that would pay stipends to NP, MSW, MFT, and Substance Abuse Counselors. Alas, nobody had the bandwidth to take it on because COVID ruins everything.
It's pretty likely that I could do at least some of my NP student hours where I currently work, but would have a different role. I know it's good to get experience at different places and it would be helpful to keep an open mind about all kinds of things.
Ironically or not--still not sure-- my spouse has an MBA and his answer about full time vs part time when I muse about it out loud is "There's a cost-benefit analysis spreadsheet on the internet for that, you know."
I *did* finally get back in my office to update the scorecard... but between lag time for post-travel COVID testing, spouse getting fever and presumptive quarantine until he was cleared, followed by a couple of snow days, it wasn't until the first week of February. This semester we have public health and leadership.
It makes me stupidly happy to have this index card and be able to fill in the boxes.
Summer semester is going to SUCK. A lot. Our clinicals for Adult Health/Critical Care will be back to back 12-14 hour days because we have to somehow get 168 hours of clinical in during an 11 week semester. My current plan is to take Mondays off from my job to have a day to do laundry and make food for the next week.
But this also still depends a little on the family health issue. No transplant yet...
Your last semester looks similar to mine, but for me, adult health II (aka critical care) was lecture and senior seminar for me was inpatient psych (I got a specialty placement which was great). Loved my final BSN semester.
I did my MSN over 3 years part time and worked part-time as a RN. I really didn't have a choice. The 2 traditional NP programs pretty much only allows part-time, and the 1 program that accepted me that possibly was full time was a school that I didn't like so much (though it's still a great program).
Another thing to consider is that if you work full-time and get your PMHNP part-time, you sacrifice study time. Although you will still do well in the PMHNP program, I've found that all the extra studies I did on my own, outside of my PMHNP curriculum, was tremendously helpful. But that took a lot of extra time.
In hindsight, I wish I stuck to a full-time program. It also takes at least 3-6 months after you graduate to start earning that PMHNP salary because of licensing and credentialing.
Currently in the MSN from LaSalle University in Philadelphia, PA where I did my BSN. There are faster options, but I also like my full-time job.
Currently taking population health... and happen to be independently working on a QA improvement project for primary care access for our MOUD clinic patients. :)
Question for the old hats out there if you can remember.
Was there a point in your NP Program where you had a momentary freak out (or 5) about becoming the person who drives a care plan and/or is deciding which meds among the crapshoot that is currently psych meds you'd pick for your patients?
NuggetsHuman, BSN, RN
78 Posts
Next week is midterms. Officially half-way through with the BSN.
?
Right now we are in Child/Family I, which is OB. Clinicals are 7 hours every Saturday. OB clinicals seem to be a lot of observation and not as much hands-on. Yesterday my primary job was to snuggle a 2 week old baby in the NICU for NAS.
Also in Research right now, which I would LOVE to be able to test out of. Unfortunately testing out isn't an option for my program "because you have to have a nursing evidence based practice class." I've more or less made made my peace with it.
I keep this index card by the bookshelf in my office at work. It's really gratifying to check off classes at the end of each semester.