PsychMaven

I've never heard of a Psych NP doing physicals. My NP program is focused on diagnosing mental illness, therapeutic technique, and prescribing...we rarely ever touch our patients. As for leading groups as a psych nurse I have done a variety of different types, but none that were specifically labeled as "psychotherapy," rather you might lead an unstructured interpersonal group that has a similar emphasis on the process, but is not so specific...it really is a fine line to walk. I was actually trained to lead groups as a Mental Health Specialist, not even a nurse, and it was encouraged that we lead a variety of groups once we received this training. The main difference in scope of practice for Psych NP's is the ability to diagnose and treat including prescriptive authority as well as individual/group/family psychotherapy.

Psych patients are obviously very different from what you are accustomed to and you should definitely make sure that you are comfortable with your switch and the population before delving into anything. Leading a successful group means meeting members at their level of functioning by educating, forming strategies, teaching skills, connecting to others struggles and successes, reframing unhealthy beliefs, and offering hope. Basic Groups Models & Examples Psychoeducational: knowing your illness, medication management, nutrition, dual diagnosis, symptom management, or relapse prevention. * Structured educational group, a good bet for a new group leader. Cognitive/behavioral: distress tolerance, communication skills, behavioral planning, affect/emotion regulation, or stress reduction. * Structured group based in behavioral therapy-derived skills aimed at modifying cognitive and/or behavioral processes; must have knowledge of specific therapies. Interpersonal: interpersonal relationships, grief and loss, self esteem, narrative life stories, or family issues. *Largely unstructured, these groups can get incredibly emotional. You must be able to close the doors that are opened during a session so do not bite off more than you can chew. Leading a Group: Planning: When planning a group, you should have an objective statement so it is really clear to you what you want to accomplish. I was taught that the best size for a group is 7 +/- 2, so 5-9 people is ideal. Be comfortable with yourself and the subject. Choose a group treatment model that suits your style and strengths. Beginning: Introduce yourself, the group topic, and ask patients to go around and introduce themselves; I like to ask people to introduce themselves and say how they are feeling which gives me an idea of the tone of the group as well as eliminates some anxiety on the patient's part. Do not choose a person to start, allow someone to volunteer to introduce him/herself first and then continue in a circular pattern. This allows you to "diagnose" the group dynamic and identify one of the group's leaders (you are the formal leader, but patients will emerge as dominant members as opposed to the isolates). "Scapegoats" may sometimes arise and are often the most ill person in the group, subject to open attack. These patients often serve as the vehicle for crystallizing group issues. Determining the level of leadership that is needed is vital to the group. If a high level of structure is necessary, asking an open question such as "how are you communicating with your treaters?" may be helpful. If a low level of structure is necessary, promote group leaders as they emerge. The "work" of the group: Think of each group as having its own climate, leaders, and process. I was taught to operate by the idea that the group is a microcosm and that each member represents an important role to the group. To kick a person out of the group is to kick out an entire role, possibly one vital to the group's process. Share your leadership role with others. Expect some moments of silence and use them. While uncomfortable, these moments punctuate the experience and often open up opportunities for different group members to interject or shift the focus momentarily. Monitor yourself, especially if you find yourself speaking frequently, and remember that feedback is often most effective when delivered softy and respectfully. If conflict arises, work hard to understand the person's perspective. I often say something like "I'm glad you could express that." Don't reject the rambling on and on of patients, but be sure to contain it. Reach out to group members if they are quiet or reserved. Connect members by forming relationships that are helpful or caring, saying things like "can anyone relate to that?" after a statement or "would anyone like to comment to someone else?" Highlight issues that promote the hope and recognize the pain of group members. Always thank group members after a contribution. Trust the group. Ending: Allow patients time to disengage. Establishing a ritual ending can be helpful, for example asking patients to say how they felt about the group or even give a rating of their personal satisfaction. Follow up on feelings about the group, asking for more feedback about how to make it a more satisfying experience. Thank everyone for participating in the search for meaning and support. This really only skims the surface of group work, but I hope that it will be helpful in starting you off. You will often be impressed by the goodness of others as well as your own awkwardness in not knowing what to say or how to be helpful, expect and honor this. Try to enjoy yourself, you are privileged enough to be included in some of the most intense and meaningful experiences in people's lives. Good luck!

Does anyone know what the general policy is for scheduling a drug test? I know they generally give you a week to schedule, but is that one week from the offer of employment or from your acceptance of the offer? I know it's different everywhere, but what have other people experienced?

I tried the trick right after I took my test this past Wednesday and got the pop-up, but was still hesitant to celebrate too much. I got the pop-up again yesterday, but still felt like I was the only person this would not work for. Well, I just checked my results and I passed! I think after 300 and some posts going back several years, we can safely say that the trick works whether you check it the same day or weeks later...as long as you see that 'delivery successful' message with your pop-up, you can pretty much start celebrating!!! :cheers:

Your friend likely left because she suddenly felt like a burden, reading the responses that focus on passing her on to an authority and getting back to what's important for you right now...the NCLEX. While I certainly don't think that you should be pushing studying aside, you can absolutely address the serious issue with a woman you likened to your sister as well. The reality of this situation is that your friend is in trouble, she is away from her home country, and you were her go to gal. Talk to your friend. While emotional abuse is certainly nothing to cast aside, determining if your friend is in physical danger is indeed the first priority. If this is the case encourage her strongly not to stay with that person and give her options such as the safe houses and church groups that other users have reccommended, but remember that the average abused woman will return to her abuser 7-8 times before leaving for good. If it is reasonable and desirable to you that she stays at your place (this is certainly how best friends often feel), then set a clear boundary about your need to continue studying. What your friend most likely needs right now is someone to talk to without fear of judgement, she needs to be empowered to figure her own situation out...with your, or someone else she is willing to trust's, assistance. It is imMediatant to remember that she probably feels very ambivalent right now, unsure, and helpless. Validating her experience and feelings (regardless of what they are) is extremely important right now and she needs to know that she has you, or someone, behind her. Try to get ahold of your friend, tell her that you are sorry that you violated her trust (you told people, whether or not they know her it is probably very embarassing), but that you are truly concerned for her given that she is like a sister to you and just wanted to do the best possible thing to try and help. When talking with your frind, try to put yourself in her place. How would you feel about the whole situation? What might you want someone to say to you? What wouldn't you want someone to say? It's obvious that you are as great friend, your friend is just in a very precarious situation. Do your best and, of course, don't forget that you need to study as well. Helping a friend doesn't have to take up all of your time...she'd probably just be happy to have a conversation, think about her options, and sit near you while you do your work, keeping you company. That's what friends do after all. Take care of yourself in all of this as well, dealing with such serious issues can be incredibly taxing.

Hi Summer, As I'm sure you can tell by the number of responses, this is certainly an understandable fear. I started an Entry to Practice program last summer (everyone already has a BS in another field) and am finishing with my BS in Nursing this May. Basically I've taken 60 credits and completed upwards of 750 clinical hours in one year. All I can say is that if I can do it, so can you...especially considering you have excellent grades from high school! I had all the same fears as you last year and here I am preparing to take my NCLEX, time will fly. 1. In my program you must maintain a 3.0 each semester, cumulatively. If you fall below that you are placed on academic probation for at least one semester and if you do not bring it back up I imagine you are dismissed. 2. In my experience you must maintain whatever the school's minimum GPA is throughout the entire nursing program. 3. It is possible to be removed, for example my program requires immediate dismissal if you fail a CLINICAL course which is very very hard to do unless you simply are not trying, asking questions, or getting involved. 4. I believe it is acceptable to repeat courses, however if it was a pre-req for the next class in your program that could set you back tremendously. 5. Plan on being dismissed if you do not measure up to your particular institution's requirements, it is possible and it does happen. 6. I know of several people dismissed from our program for their grades. 7. If dismissed from a nursing program, you could get into another program theoretically. The grades that got you dismissed, however, would likely make this very difficult. I would suggest that you look into the exact requirements for the programs you are planning to apply to, everywhere is different. Just do your best and study, study, study. Don't let failure be an option, most schools have tons of resources if you are having trouble and your professors will surely want to help you succeed. Take a deep breath and dive in, best of luck Summer!

if we are going to discuss finances, i don't know about anyone else, but i'd much rather talk salaries :wink2: There was a lot of good info. in this article and a promising number for NYC salaries in particular.... http://www.advancefornp.com/Sharedresources/advanceforNP/Resources/DownloadableResources/NP_2007SalarySurvey.pdf

you seriously don't seem to get it. the reason i am not "keeping to the facts" is because your input is not welcome, the last thing i want to do is further engage this bs. take your pearls of financial wisdom to the designated thread where people want to discuss the glaringly obvious financial issues surrounding ivy league educations. enough, honestly.

waa, waa, waaa...consider making your own thread to take your unwanted advice and relentless complaining elsewhere. you are not helpful and i am thoroughly bored of hearing the same tired and obvious (at least to most of us) message over and over. i love it when people are so clearly unwanted and yet persist regardless...sad really.

How funny this is. I must say that the inappropriateness of columbiaetep04's posts has done more than her whiny banter to convince me of Columbia's shortcomings. I really did laugh when I saw that she actually signed up for allnurses just to post that demoralizing little message...supposedly after years of nursing school. Hehe. You honestly never did the math columbiaetp04??? I suppose when I thought about it for myself I took into consideration that even subtracting $12,000 from my yearly salary as a Psych. NP would be considerably more than I would've made with other two year degrees, such as a LMHC or Social Worker, and I still would still be paying back the money that I'd spent to get those degrees...on a lesser salary. Not to mention the wider scope of practice that a NP has, blah, blah, blah. Everyone has their own justifications and I'm sorry that you did not plan ahead or have the capacity to understand what you were actually signing up for. Take it somewhere else though, WE DON'T CARE...and you so obviously do. I hope NOT to get a response from your sorry little self. Can't believe it's gone on this long really... I expected to see maybe one other message, but you honestly did take it there didn't you.

Um, thanks for your honesty negative nancy...I guess. A message board of people two weeks away from beginning the program is not exactly the appropriate place to be whining about your financial constraints though; perhaps you should impart your wisdom on the '09 program. Everyone here is well aware of how much the program costs and the fact that there are other alternatives. Someone looking to find Psych. NP programs however, can not go just anywhere, most programs do not offer this specialty. Keep in mind that people have many choices in healthcare today and, unfortunately, not everyone knows much about NP's and will often seek out the more familiar MD instead. Besides the obvious cost disadvantages, Ivy League credentials definitely ease people's concerns when choosing clinicians. I could go on, but who cares really...

It's finally starting to feel real...I can't believe that we'll be starting three weeks from now! I'm definitely feeling a bit more anxious as the date approaches, but I guess that's to be expected. Do we need to order our book package from the bookstore before we get there to get the discounted price or will they be available during orientation? Is everyone else as excited as I am?! See you all in NY, whoo.

Finally the news arrived, I will be in room 421! Whew, one less thing.

Still waiting impatiently up here in Boston, crossing my fingers and toes...

Seriously....that f*ing sucks.

Just curious, when would these alleged pelvic exams take place...are we talking this summer? Definitely interested by the response to this issue, I didn't think about it much but was familiar with the idea so it doesn't seem so terrible, I don't think I realized there was so much controversy around it. As I mentioned, I care more that students of the other colleges do not do this than the fact that we nursing students do. As for the "fairness" factor of the male students going to the hospital for a day, I don't see how else it would be done otherwise. It would bother me if male students were not expected to perform something personal that could technically be done on both sexes, such as a rectal exam, on each other and female students were. Realistically though, life isn't fair and sexism still runs through the undercurrent of our society so, as women (and men who are irritated for women), we just have to understand that, make ourselves heard, hope for the best, and prepare for the worst. I'll come down off of my soap box now.

Yeah, I wasn't shocked when I read that nursing students practice pelvic exams on each other, but the fact that the medical students do not is what DOES bother me. Plus I must say, nursing used to be all women so I can see how it used to make sense, but now it really is not all women...and shouldn't be encouraged to be, so practicing exams on each other doesn't make sense anymore. Unless we are practicing prostate exams on our male partners, I don't see how the relationship between a male and female partner could possibly have the same humane reciprocity between partners that dg speaks of. I have never had a male gynecologist simply because it seems more comfortable and logical to me to have someone who understands from personal experience what is going on with my body. I have talked to tons of women, however, who prefer a male practitioner so it's obviously quite personal and bound to vary. I can't believe that the med student lounge is so much nicer, I'm pretty sure all of our money goes to the same place...

I was just wondering if anyone knows whether our supply packages and uniforms will be sent to us or if we pick them up there during orientation. I can't wait to find out about housing, thanks for the heads up fnp4me! The woman from off-campus housing seemed pretty straightforward, I will definitely be looking for someplace to share for the summer if on-campus doesn't pan out. She did say, however, that we shouldn't start looking for apt.s more than a month before the desired move date because everything turns over super quickly and landlords/brokers are looking to rent things ASAP, not several months in advance.

I was wondering what the move-in date for summer housing is if you are able to get a spot. The housing papers say May so I assume the entire month, but I kind of expected move-ins to be right before orientation...I don't know why they would expect us to move in a month early to attend a program that already begins a mere 4 months after sending out acceptance letters. I need to tell my landlord what date my boyfriend and I hope to break our lease on and find a sublet for them (I love my landlords). I definitely can't pay double rent for May and am stressing a bit, does anyone know the policy?

I am even more excited now that I have a real picture of what my summer will be like and I had a great time at visiting day yesterday. I was pleasantly surprised by the neighborhood after being slightly concerned about it feeling a bit sketchy from people's comments. I definitely felt comfortable there though, and am looking forward to the big move. I was reassured by one of the student ambassadors that, although there is a ton of material to learn, test questions are generally straightforward. After having a few professors lately who seem to love finding the most difficult and circuitous way to ask a question, I was feeling a bit nervous about tons of tricky questions on top of loads of information. I don't know what other people's experience has been though. I know that we are allowed to mix and match the navy and white tops and bottoms for uniforms, but I was wondering what the general consensus is...to mix or to match?

I was admitted to the Psychiatric Mental Health specialty and I am finishing up my BS in psych now. It doesn't seem that many "nursing people" want to do psych, and it seems that the "psych people" don't know about the opportunity as a Psych. NP so I don't think they favor one way or the other. I think it was my experience working in psych. that made me a competitive applicant. To give you an idea, I worked at residential treatment facilities for people with co-occurring mental health and substance abuse issues, a residential DBT house for women with Borderline Personality Disorder, and eventually at a psychiatric hospital. I've been telling my classmates what I am doing and they are all shocked that I will be able to prescribe, do therapy, and actually make money doing it without being in school for the next six years. This time last year I was wondering all the same things that you are and I must say that I am totally happy with my decision thus far and definitely recommend this route for fellow "psych people". Nice to see people interested in the field...I seem to be the only one on this site so far in mental health.

I too am trying to be optimistic. It hasn't been that long since I saw the likes of a dorm room, but four years of having my own bathroom back has spoiled me. That was, and is, my only true gripe about dorm living. It would definitely be sweet to have one of the one rooms on each floor with its own bathroom, yeah right though. I'm just hoping for a sink (and a room!) as well. I'm actually in a similar situation PurpleBee, I too must leave the boyfriend I have been living with for the past three years...not a marriage, but we've definitely gotten quite accustomed to being together. He can't move to NY until September so I am on my own in the big city for the summer. I definitely plan to bring a mini-fridge/freezer and microwave...I remember it being the only thing that got me through dining hall food. If we can have a toaster oven that is amazing because microwaved food gets so old. It's not so bad having them in the room, especially since even the smallest room is livable for one person, you can just set up a little "kitchen" area (ha) somewhere near the sink that you hopefully have. As for the beds, extra long is a bit better, but it's definitely a cozy nights sleep. It would be great if a bunch of us got housing in the same building, here's hoping.

The couples housing seems to be determined differently than singles because singles assignments are "based upon the date each student's application was received and by matching preference with unit availability". I don't know what "preference" they are referring to because there are no options on the paperwork for singles, just standard information, but I don't think couples need to worry about time. As you quoted, they are determined based solely on preference and availability so that email is likely just a mass generic one, but you could call to be sure.

Kevn2bNP, I was wondering if you could give me some idea of what these uniforms actually look like or are similar to. Ever since I saw tunic on the order form I've had quite a strange picture in my head. Are the white pants as terribly tacky as the vision of them in my head? Thanks for all of your input, its definitely eased my fears a lot to hear from people in the program who really understand where we are at.

28 and 35, definitely not old! I'm really excited to work with such a diverse group age and otherwise also, but I do understand where you guys are coming from...not trying to be invalidating here. Anyway, I think all of our motivation towards the same goal has already done a great job of bringing us together from across the country, I can't wait until we are actually all in NY!