Nurse-Midwife vs. Psych. NP

Published

  1. Which specialty do you prefer?

    • 6
      Nurse-Midwife
    • 11
      Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
    • 5
      neither

22 members have participated

I`m planning to apply to a nurse practitioner program in the fall, but I`m undecided about which of these two fields I should go into. Can somebody give me some pros and cons for each (nurse-midwife & psychiatric MHNP)?

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Given that these two options are at completely different ends of the spectrum, what is your passion? I would take the time to contact some psych NP's and midwives and ask to buy them coffee or lunch in exchange for the opportunity to pick their brain.

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Specializes in Leadership, Psych, HomeCare, Amb. Care.

Psych is my calling, and I have absolutely no interest in birthing babies.

how would that help you, I don't know. My pro may be your con, and versa vice

As asked above, what is your passion?

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Specializes in Nurse Leader specializing in Labor & Delivery.

It doesn't matter what we prefer. It's an odd choice to throw to the community. If one gets the majority vote, is that how you're going to make your decision?

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IMO, if you don't know what specialty you want to pursue, you're not ready for graduate school.

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Specializes in nursing education.

Pro tip: one shouldn't pursue either of these without the certainty of wanting it, and what it entails. How to know that? Work in the field as an RN, and shadow the advanced practitioner to see what a day (and night) is like.

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I said "neither" because if you are asking US, you may not be ready for either one. I don't know that, but I would need more info before inputting my 2cents. (I'm a School Nurse now, I *need* my 2 cents.)

Good luck!

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Specializes in Reproductive & Public Health.

Well, as a CPM and a student CNM, I can say that midwifery is a terrible job. The pay is not commensurate with how much you work, you're up at all hours, constantly sleep deprived, and when stuff goes bad on L&D... well, it can go really, really bad. Midwifery is just about the crappiest job there is. That is, of course, unless you love it. Then it is the best job ever. I could never do anything else.

I agree with the previous posters. It seems foolish to invest so much time, energy and money into a specialty if you are not certain it is for you.

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