I currently have enough credits to graduate w/ a degree in what would have been English/Special Education, currently getting student loans, yet still struggling w/ money just to live in NJ. I am 28 and have $30k hanging over my head in student loan debt.
- graduating would cut off student aid? How would I pay for an aBSN? How would I pay for a DIrect NP if I could get into one?
- I am willing to relocate and serve underserved populations in the future.
- I have a 3.8 gpa, but no patient exp. other than teaching yoga to people w/ disabilities and health issues, and I used to hospice volunteer. I liked doing that, but I needed to work more and get paid.
- My community college charges 500/credit hour in the nursing program (RN) now so the aBSN is really not that different in price.
- My options are:
1. Transferring to a college w/ a BSN program and taking 3 more years.
2. Finishing my prereqs while I still get the Pell grants and going to an aBSN program.
3. Moving somewhere cheaper (and probably nicer) and getting my RN. Praying I can get into being a Psych RN (I know my personality type). Then going to more school.
4. Going to a direct PMHNP program if I can get in and taking out huge loans but being willing to do whatever with moving because it's the job I really want to be doing.
- My dream is to be a Psych NP. I was going to go into counseling, but to be honest, I do not always find talk therapy to be the best and I do not want to be poor for the rest of my life/any longer. I also think I could do much more in this field and have spent a lifetime being an unpaid counselor, unpaid addictions counselor, and general wellness cheerleader for a lot of people. I love it. But now I want to get paid for what I love, and well!
I have a few questions for Psych NPs out also:
*Do you feel like you are able to practice holistically ever?
*Is setting up your own practice a viable reality?
*Are you able to order checks for other medical problems like hypothyroid and food allergies? (Celiac masqueraded as depression for a lot of my life) Nutritional deficiencies?
*Anyone else done a Psych NP direct route? Advice? Advice for getting in? Do I need to become a CNA or HHA? I've done hospice volunteerwork before. I could def see myself working in one of those.
*I know I want to work with children so I assume I should become a Family PMHNP?
If you're almost done with your first degree, I would suggest just finishing it. Then you could apply to an Accelerated Second Degree (ASD) Nursing Program. These are programs for people who have a BA in non-nursing field. They can usually be completed somewhere between 16-mos and 2-years. This is because your second degree can be used to take care of basic education and elective requirements.
So rather than chuck out all of the work you've already done - you are leveraging it to advance your career.
Good Luck.
* Edit
I've done my own research, looking for NP's who are doing psych private practice. I found a few doing everything from talk therapy, hypnotherapy, NLP, and other alternative therapies. So it's definitely a possibility but looks like a rarity. Also I know that many HMO's are now offering "wellness courses" in things like yoga and meditation. With your experience, that might be an additional talent you bring to the table.
HealingThoughts
23 Posts
If you're almost done with your first degree, I would suggest just finishing it. Then you could apply to an Accelerated Second Degree (ASD) Nursing Program. These are programs for people who have a BA in non-nursing field. They can usually be completed somewhere between 16-mos and 2-years. This is because your second degree can be used to take care of basic education and elective requirements.
So rather than chuck out all of the work you've already done - you are leveraging it to advance your career.
Good Luck.
* Edit
I've done my own research, looking for NP's who are doing psych private practice. I found a few doing everything from talk therapy, hypnotherapy, NLP, and other alternative therapies. So it's definitely a possibility but looks like a rarity. Also I know that many HMO's are now offering "wellness courses" in things like yoga and meditation. With your experience, that might be an additional talent you bring to the table.