practical experience in direct entry psych NP program

[redbullz9]

I am interested in pursuing a directly entry psych-NP program (for non-nursing bachelors). These programs have an accelerated first year where you are just obtaining your BSN in 1 to 1.25 years followed by the masters part.

I am interested in finding out more about the level of responsibility nursing students have during that first year in their rotations. Are you carrying your own patient load? Are you placing catheters/doing IVs? Or are you basically doing a glorified job shadow until you get your license? How often and what types of procedures do students do during this period?

Thanks for your feedback!

[203bravo, MSN, APRN]

Generally you will learn a skill in the lab, have the opportunity to practice it, be tested on safety and minimal competence then you will be able to preform it during hospital rotations under direction of your clinical instructor or nurse preceptor. It depends on how your program is structured as to which skills you would be allowed to preform during each rotation --- traditional programs may teach and test 1-2 skills a week while an accelerated program may have a skill "boot camp" in which all skills are taught and tested during a week or two. However, don't think that you may get to preform all the skills you have learned during your clinical rotations... there will very likely be shifts that there are no patients that require an IV start, foley insertion, NG tube, etc...

a tip for you... if there are any skills that you have not preformed then make it known to the nursing staff as well as your clinical instructor...they may very well have an opportunity for you even if it's not with a specific patient that you been assigned during that rotation. Just get to know the staff and be nice and helpful whenever you are there.... it really does go a long way.

[verene, MSN]

That first accelerated year is the same as an accelerated BSN in terms of speed & scope and teaches you the same basic nursing skills that any new grad (ADN, BSN, ABSN, or DEMSN) RN is expected to have. In general as described above you will be learning skills in lab and simulation, practicing on peers or standardized patients (actors) for some skills, demonstrating skills in lab for an instructor and then demonstrating skills in clinical for an instructor and then being able to do them with your precepting RN - and maybe if your program has a practicum term being able to do some skills independently (once okay'd by preceptor).

In clinical you will start by shadowing and gradually ad a greater number of skills and increasing role in patient care as you move through the program. If you program offers a capstone/practicum term then you may grow you skills during that term to being "mostly" independent and taking a full-load of patients. Ultimately though you will always be operating under the direction of clinical instructor and preceptor and even during that final term there may be skills you still are not allowed to do, or aspects of patient care which you will not preform.

How often and what kinds of procedures you do will depend in large part on you individual program, you clinical placement settings, facility policy, your skill level as a student and clinical faculty / preceptor comfort level with your skills, and what patients happen to be around when you are on the floor / setting that are willing to have a student involved in their care.

[redbullz9]

Thanks for your detailed answer! Appreciate the feedback.

Regarding the practicum/capstone (assuming there is one), what is the likelihood the school would allow the student to choose to do it in a specific unit (e.g. psych) versus being assigned to a unit? I would think they would prefer you do it in general medicine or something similar since you are still learning general skills, but i could be wrong.

[MyAimIsTrue, BSN]

In my traditional BSN program we can choose a specialty placement, but with no guarantee that we'll get it. No one in my cohort chose psych, so I'm not certain if that would be approved or not...

[verene, MSN]

Thanks for your detailed answer! Appreciate the feedback.

Regarding the practicum/capstone (assuming there is one), what is the likelihood the school would allow the student to choose to do it in a specific unit (e.g. psych) versus being assigned to a unit? I would think they would prefer you do it in general medicine or something similar since you are still learning general skills, but i could be wrong.

I'm in a combined ABSN/DNP program and for those who us in the ABSN who were direct entry into an NP specialty the program mandated we complete our capstone hours (300+) on a unit related to our specialty (e.g L&D or mother-baby for midwives, child or adult in-patient psych for PMHNP and general medicine or primary care for FNP track).

[umbdude, MSN, APRN]

Thanks for your detailed answer! Appreciate the feedback.

Regarding the practicum/capstone (assuming there is one), what is the likelihood the school would allow the student to choose to do it in a specific unit (e.g. psych) versus being assigned to a unit? I would think they would prefer you do it in general medicine or something similar since you are still learning general skills, but i could be wrong.

Most programs give students some preference. However, some specialties (eg, ICU, ED, maternity) are highly sought after and competitive to get in, but psych isn't one of these (not even close). Anyone who wants to go into psych should get placed easily.

I did my BSN capstone in psych. Only ~3 out of 85+ students in my cohort wanted psych placement, so we were easily placed. I actually found my own preceptor because I worked in an inpatient psych facility.

If you're direct-entry and already picked Psych NP, I find it hard to believe that the program wouldn't allow you to do your capstone in psych.