LlamaMama

As a PMHNP who completed training years ago (1983), my masters program at UCSF (psych CNS) included 2 years of psychotherapy tng w/supervision. Post-masters I strengthened my psychopharmacology skills and have worked across settings and severity of illness. I love my work, which currently involves locums work on secure inpatient psychiatric units and a part-time private practice where I prescribe meds AND provide therapy. When I started out, our profession was still fighting for full prescriptive authority. Now it seems we are fighting to preserve our role as psychotherapists. The irony is tragic. I've served as a clinical preceptor for many grad psych NP students, both the psychpharm courses and the psychotherapy courses. My skill as a psychotherapist is on par with many Psy D. Providers. Yet this past year I had a PsychNP student who was NOT allowed to use me as a preceptor for therapy, only the psychopharmacology modules. They told the student it must be an LCSW, Psychologist, or LCPC. Oh.. and a psychiatrist would also be an acceptable clinical preceptor! This is so disappointing. 40+ years as an advanced practice nurse and this experience is disregarded, by a School of Nursing. This may be my final year of practice before I retire. For nurses coming on board now, I urge all of you to consider protecting the psychotherapy component of your practice. All therapists, to some extent, get less-than-expected education and supervision during their initial training, whatever their discipline. The best therapists are life long learners who are humble enough to keep abreast of advances in the field and seek out post-graduate training opportunities. They also learn from their patients lived experience.