NP Jobs still looking pretty good.

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Specializes in FNP.
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Specializes in Family Nurse Practitioner.

"There are currently more than 12,400 open positions for jobseekers in this field."

Lol, yeah ok, I'm sure none of those "open positions" googled were repeats. Interesting timing I was discussing with a colleague earlier today how in this area all the new NP grads in psych are decimating our rates and reputation.

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"There are currently more than 12,400 open positions for jobseekers in this field."

Lol, yeah ok, I'm sure none of those "open positions" googled were repeats. Interesting timing I was discussing with a colleague earlier today how in this area all the new NP grads in psych are decimating our rates and reputation.

Can I ask what specific issues you are seeing with the new Psych NPs?

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Specializes in Family Nurse Practitioner.
Can I ask what specific issues you are seeing with the new Psych NPs?

I see their handiwork in the ER and when admitting their patients after they decompensate. There are many more incidents of inappropriate diagnosis and poor prescribing especially in children now. Inability to discern intoxication, dementia and or delirium from psychosis. They can't seem to identify borderline and or addictions from bipolar and ADHD. I'm not sure if some of them have psych RN experience or not but their instincts are lacking. They appear to accept what the patient tells them as truth which you know in psych is the kiss of death. Polypharmacy specifically inappropriate use of benzos, stimulants and antipsychotics which are doled out as if there is no repercussions from these hardcore meds. Its sad and embarrassing although probably a good thing that it is relatively hard to kill someone in psychiatry with incompetence. :(

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Believing what the pt tells you seems to be the refuge of scoundrels, and others who have not mastered the subject

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Specializes in ACNP-BC, Adult Critical Care, Cardiology.
I see their handiwork in the ER and when admitting their patients after they decompensate. There are many more incidents of inappropriate diagnosis and poor prescribing especially in children now. Inability to discern intoxication, dementia and or delirium from psychosis. They can't seem to identify borderline and or addictions from bipolar and ADHD. I'm not sure if some of them have psych RN experience or not but their instincts are lacking. They appear to accept what the patient tells them as truth which you know in psych is the kiss of death. Polypharmacy specifically inappropriate use of benzos, stimulants and antipsychotics which are doled out as if there is no repercussions from these hardcore meds. Its sad and embarrassing although probably a good thing that it is relatively hard to kill someone in psychiatry with incompetence. :(

Do you think this is because there's more emphasis on medication management and very little time devoted to fine tuning skills in Psychotherapy? I see some Psychiatrists heading in this direction too.

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Specializes in ACNP-BC, Adult Critical Care, Cardiology.

I feel that the NP field is still very viable as a career option and there are definitely job openings. However, experience seems to be the key. There are many practices that would hire experienced NP's and I could easily find one if I wanted even just to moonlight somewhere. I think the hard part is for a new grad to break in the job market.

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Specializes in Family Nurse Practitioner.
Do you think this is because there's more emphasis on medication management and very little time devoted to fine tuning skills in Psychotherapy? I see some Psychiatrists heading in this direction too.

I think this is a component of an overall reduction in skills with both NPs and psychiatrists but since we are only paid for medication management now I would expect new NPs would be able to diagnose and prescribe and they are sorely lacking in these key areas.

Where the patients really suffer is that a majority are working the M-F outpatient sit behind a desk positions which is essentially prescribing in a silo. There are no checks and balances with often the only other set of eyes from a therapist who thinks there is a magic pill for every twinge. Working inpatient allows for more exposure to other's work. Taking call for other team members and rotating the weekends allows for first hand peer collaboration, learning and growth. Watching the prescribing patterns from psychiatrists I work with is still one of my most valuable tools.

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Specializes in Family Nurse Practitioner.
I feel that the NP field is still very viable as a career option and there are definitely job openings. However, experience seems to be the key. There are many practices that would hire experienced NP's and I could easily find one if I wanted even just to moonlight somewhere. I think the hard part is for a new grad to break in the job market.

I'm finding it is much harder to get paid our current rates though. The good news? is the last three employers I talked with were tuned in with the trend to have no psychiatric experience and are pushing back. This makes me more valuable in one regard but they are still having difficulty swallowing that I'm asking $50 an hour more than new grads seem to be willing to work for.

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Specializes in FNP.

All great comments about Psych, but I really wanted to give a little encouragement to counter some of the negative rhetoric that seems to be common on the NP threads. NP is a great field that will only continue to thrive. I have yet to see any NP who has regretted their decision to enter this profession. I LOVE BEING AN NP!

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All great comments about Psych, but I really wanted to give a little encouragement to counter some of the negative rhetoric that seems to be common on the NP threads. NP is a great field that will only continue to thrive. I have yet to see any NP who has regretted their decision to enter this profession. I LOVE BEING AN NP!

There have been some people who have regretted becoming an NP. They don't make enough to make their degree worthwhile.

With the arrival of the easy online program, the job market will eventually be flooded with these poor quality graduates. I hope to be retired by the time things get really bad, but there you have it.

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I regret it. I left a career in the corporate pharmaceutical industry. At one point I enjoyed being a NP. With the constant influx of new grads pushing salaries down I"m just not into it anymore. I'm hanging on until I can retire. So yeah, now you have seen me.

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