PMHNP job outlook

Specialties NP

Published

Hello all,

I am considering applying to an MSN program in order to become a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner. I have done some research on this particular specialty and have had trouble finding much information regarding job outlook and demand for my area. I live in the midwest. I have, however, done a job search and found only two ads for a PMHNP in my area, and they were both requiring atleast five years of experience! Can anyone offer any information regarding where I may find these statistics or more information?

Thanks so much in advance!

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I've applied for this program (PMHNP) with the idea that I will make my own job in a rural area when I graduate. But PMHNPs aren't very well known as a profession so many people don't realize what they can do. Depending on the state you can apply for any job that requires psych training and Rx writing, or therapy alone, or.... The combos are endless.

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With the military and increased awareness of mental health issues affecting the soldiers, there aren't going to be near enough mental health providers in this country I'm afraid. County/State Mental Health facilites, Psychiatric Centers, Rehab and correctional facilities are all probably looking, or if there is a base nearby. Probably looking up these places individually will give you a better idea; they may not post help wanted ads with companies.

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I am currently a PMHNP student at UVA and I also have had a hard time finding job postings or any relevant salary ranges online. However I think that actually getting a job as a Psych NP will be pretty easy...either starting my own practice or working with a psychiatry group. I believe it's all in how you market yourself and what contracts you already have in place with different managed care companies.

I met one PMHNP who is making 150K in an acute psychiatric hospital...just FYI

Hello all,

I am considering applying to an MSN program in order to become a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner. I have done some research on this particular specialty and have had trouble finding much information regarding job outlook and demand for my area. I live in the midwest. I have, however, done a job search and found only two ads for a PMHNP in my area, and they were both requiring atleast five years of experience! Can anyone offer any information regarding where I may find these statistics or more information?

Thanks so much in advance!

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I am currently a PMHNP student at UVA and I also have had a hard time finding job postings or any relevant salary ranges online. However I think that actually getting a job as a Psych NP will be pretty easy...either starting my own practice or working with a psychiatry group. I believe it's all in how you market yourself and what contracts you already have in place with different managed care companies.

I met one PMHNP who is making 150K in an acute psychiatric hospital...just FYI

Wow, that is an impressive salary for a psych NP! What hospital? I love psych and am currently trying to decide between med school for psychiatry or nursing leading to becomming a PMHNP....the roles seem very similar in many regards. How are you liking UVA's program? What's the balance like in training for medical care v. therapy? Would you do it again? Thanks!

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One thing to be aware of if you are planning on entering into this field is that mental health (like so many other specialties) is in the middle of a very political turf war. Currently, psychiatrists and psych NPs are the only clinicians who prescribe psychoactive medications in mental health (well, not including primary care providers who are the biggest prescribers of psych meds). Anyway, there is a movement underfoot by psychologists to gain prescriptive authority by legislative means. They have already been successful in this endeavor in Louisiana and New Mexico. So, hospitals are less interested in NPs in those states (as far as mental health goes). I'm sure that fewer med students in those states are opting for psychiatry residencies as well. The movement is commonly referred to as "RxP". Supporters purpose a self-regulated, 30 credit psychopharmacology (the minimum required for a masters) program w/ 400 clinical hours for those w/ a doctorate in psychology to get prescriptive authority. No prereqs in basic sciences required (no biology, chemistry or other sciences). As a soon to be psych NP grad myself who spent 2 years in basic sciences, 2 for my RN and nearly 3 years for the NP, I'm concerned that my job might end up going to a psychologist if my state passes the RxP bill that will probably surface in early 2009. So I'm writing letters to my state law makers here in Oregon to urge them to vote against such a bill. I think that if these providers want to learn how to care for patients with medications that affect the whole body, they should be responsible enough to learn how to care for the whole patient. Okay, sorry for the rant. I guess that I just wanted to point out that the psych field is likely to get more competitive down the road. At the same time, ya gotta love the irony. 20 years ago, newly minted physicians who had just spent over a decade training and a fortune on medical school must have been incensed by the hordes of nurses heading for state capitals all over the country to lobby for prescriptive authority. The best policy is to pay less attention to the gold rush stories about anesthesia, emergency, psych, onco, anything really. Pursue the specialty that floats your boat because this year's hot thing could be next year's bust. :twocents:

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fidelio, great posting!

It is always interesting to 'hear' about the turf wars and to understand the implications they have for whole professions. It is always scary to me that the general public will not be aware - and even the not so general public audience of health care workers is not usually aware of these specific fights until it is to late.

I hope to hear more progress and if you have any coalition or support type websites for us. I would be interested in learning more about this and perhaps having the info to pass on to my state officials.

Thanks!

v/r

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I don't believe it has even become a serious issue in Tennessee.

But I'm worried about it. I want to be a psychNP.

I'm ready to fight for it, too.

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Thanks just cause. After finals are over next week, I can post again w/ more info. Till then, here are some interesting links.

http://www.poppp.org

RxP training programs. - mostly online programs designed to teach psychologists how to go from practicing talk therapy to prescribing psychoactive medications (including controlled substances). These programs can be completed in one day per week over a 20 month period - no science prerequisites needed) :no:

http://www.prescribingpsychologist.com/Training%20Programs.htm

The site below is interesting because it lists states with active RxP legislative movements. If your state is listed, I highly recommend clicking on the "legislature" link for your state and contacting your state representatives to share your concern about these outrageously low standards for prescriptive authority. After all, licensed psychologists have less training in basic sciences than do dental hygienists (or LPNs for that matter. I'm not one to pick on dental hygienists).

http://www.prescribingpsychologist.com/Legislation.htm

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Hello all,

I am considering applying to an MSN program in order to become a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner. I have done some research on this particular specialty and have had trouble finding much information regarding job outlook and demand for my area. I live in the midwest. I have, however, done a job search and found only two ads for a PMHNP in my area, and they were both requiring atleast five years of experience! Can anyone offer any information regarding where I may find these statistics or more information?

Thanks so much in advance!

There are 944 jobs listed on nursejobsnationwide.com At quick glance it looks like most are for advanced practice psych np and CNS.

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Thanks just cause. After finals are over next week, I can post again w/ more info. Till then, here are some interesting links.

www.poppp.org

RxP training programs. - mostly online programs designed to teach psychologists how to go from practicing talk therapy to prescribing psychoactive medications (including controlled substances). These programs can be completed in one day per week over a 20 month period - no science prerequisites needed) :no:

http://www.prescribingpsychologist.com/Training%20Programs.htm

The site below is interesting because it lists states with active RxP legislative movements. If your state is listed, I highly recommend clicking on the "legislature" link for your state and contacting your state representatives to share your concern about these outrageously low standards for prescriptive authority. After all, licensed psychologists have less training in basic sciences than do dental hygienists (or LPNs for that matter. I'm not one to pick on dental hygienists).

http://www.prescribingpsychologist.com/Legislation.htm

Oh my, Tennessee is on the list.

I downloaded the postage paid form to mail into the lawmakers supporting the bill for psychologists to gain prescriptive rights only I'm going to write why they SHOULD NOT have them!

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One thing to be aware of if you are planning on entering into this field is that mental health (like so many other specialties) is in the middle of a very political turf war. Currently, psychiatrists and psych NPs are the only clinicians who prescribe psychoactive medications in mental health (well, not including primary care providers who are the biggest prescribers of psych meds). Anyway, there is a movement underfoot by psychologists to gain prescriptive authority by legislative means. They have already been successful in this endeavor in Louisiana and New Mexico. So, hospitals are less interested in NPs in those states (as far as mental health goes). I'm sure that fewer med students in those states are opting for psychiatry residencies as well. The movement is commonly referred to as "RxP". Supporters purpose a self-regulated, 30 credit psychopharmacology (the minimum required for a masters) program w/ 400 clinical hours for those w/ a doctorate in psychology to get prescriptive authority. No prereqs in basic sciences required (no biology, chemistry or other sciences). As a soon to be psych NP grad myself who spent 2 years in basic sciences, 2 for my RN and nearly 3 years for the NP, I'm concerned that my job might end up going to a psychologist if my state passes the RxP bill that will probably surface in early 2009. So I'm writing letters to my state law makers here in Oregon to urge them to vote against such a bill. I think that if these providers want to learn how to care for patients with medications that affect the whole body, they should be responsible enough to learn how to care for the whole patient. Okay, sorry for the rant. I guess that I just wanted to point out that the psych field is likely to get more competitive down the road. At the same time, ya gotta love the irony. 20 years ago, newly minted physicians who had just spent over a decade training and a fortune on medical school must have been incensed by the hordes of nurses heading for state capitals all over the country to lobby for prescriptive authority. The best policy is to pay less attention to the gold rush stories about anesthesia, emergency, psych, onco, anything really. Pursue the specialty that floats your boat because this year's hot thing could be next year's bust. :twocents:

I feel the need to reply to your above post. I am both a clinical psychologist and a psychiatric NP. Having gone through the substantial training to earn both credentials, I stress that clinical psychology and advanced practice psychiatric nursing are quite similar in philosophy and goals for patient care (both attempt to be holistic and patient-centered). I have found, however, a considerable amount of misinformation from both professions regarding the training and roles of the other.

With regard to psychologist prescribing, this is a ship that has sailed and will continue to do so. I feel that psych NPs would do well to align with psychologists on this issue rather than try to fight them hoping that this will endear us to the good graces of medicine. Considering NPs struggle with medicine to obtain advanced practice roles, it is quite hypocritical to claim that NPs should be able to prescribe while psychologists should not, particularly when you consider the education of both. I am equally proud of my being a member of both professions and have been able to integrate both roles to improve my patient care. To say that psychologists do not have the necessary training to be able to be adequately trained in pharmacotherapy is inaccurate. Psychologists have been prescribing for over a decade in the military and the civilian prescribing psychologists in NM and LA have written thousands of scripts at this point without the so-called "patient health hazard" that was espoused by organized medicine - particularly psychiatry. While the Prescribing Psychologists' Register is marginal at best, it is a for-profit entity aimed at making money more than educating psychologists to prescribe. Several of them are university-based on award a master's degree upon completion. The required coursework: neuroanatomy, neurophysiology, pharmacology, psychopharmacology, clinical psychopharmacology, biochemistry, gross system anatomy, etc. is beyond what I had in my psych NP program. You can check out the curriculum of the NM program here: http://www.siaprxp.com/. This is not a fly-by-night program and several of the faculty are psychiatrists and psych NPs! I know one of them personally.

My point is that psychologist prescribing is not going to usurp or take away jobs for psych NPs. The need for competent prescribers is tremendous and is only going to increase. I think that there is a much greater threat from organized medicine trying to limit and reverse the gains made by NPs and other professions; organized medicine's attempt to limit doctorally-prepared nurses from using the title "doctor" is a prime example.

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