al dente

You'll need to check the Nurse Practice Act for Illinois. The requirements will be specifically listed under the Advanced Practice section. Definitely go for the NP certification over the CNS.

It depends on the state. Most states have regulatory language that requires a MSN with board certification in your speciality area to qualify for licensure/certification as an APN. If your state specifically requires a MSN and you get a DNP instead, ...

The Pearson Report ranks Arizona as the best state in the nation to practice as a NP - a 100% rating. NPs here are completely autonomous and have been for a decade. NP independent practice here is commonplace and widely accepted by the public. Salari...

Anyone have recent information on NP practice changes in Texas? I've heard TX may be going independent, but am not sure of the validity of this statement. I'm not in TX, but have a colleague who may be moving to DFW area for family reasons. She's pre...

Most PMHNPs in private practice focus on medication management. Very similar to typical psychiatry practice except that PMHNPs are more likely to spend more time with a patient. For example, most psychiatrists in my city offer 15-minute med check app...

The short answer is "no." It largely depends on your state's nurse practice act. I'm in Arizona and all NPs here are independent and have full autonomy. Psychiatrists have no say in what I do nor does any other physician for any other NP. I'm in priv...

Zenman, did you get my PM?

I'm in private practice in Arizona.

Yes, a doctorate is required for licensure as a psychologist - a master's will not suffice. Psychologists have doctorates (PhD - Doctor of Philosophy, PsyD - Doctor of Psychology, or EdD - Doctor of Education) in psychology - usually clinical or co...

I agree. There is no substitute for actually having the opportunity to speak another language in conversation. Rosetta Stone is worth considering and is decent, better than typical university classes, but getting a person or persons with whom you ca...

I am not aware of any state that allows psych NPs to admit for an involuntary psychiatric admission under their own signature. This is an area that remains dominated by psychiatrists. Here in Arizona, psych NPs are attempting to get this language c...

Thirteen states/jurisdictions currently allow for completely autonomous NP practice. Check out the Pearson Report for updated information. http://webnp.net/downloads/pearson_report09/pearson09_tables_maps.pdf

I don't know what current CA salaries for PMHNPs are. I've heard 85K or so, perhaps up to 100K? It really comes down to your employer and how much they value your service and what they're willing to pay. Not having independent authority puts you at a...

You probably won't have a problem finding a job as a Psych NP in California, but your autonomy will be limited. It basically comes down to the psychiatrist who ends up supervising you and what authority he/she will delegate to you. It will be very ha...

Arizona is currently the best state in the nation to practice as a NP. The Pearson Report gives Arizona a score of 100 out of 100, the only state in the nation to get a 100 rating. California is generally awful for NPs with regard to NP autonomy. I ...

I have my own independent psych practice and practice very similarly to the way core0 described. My state allows for autonomous NP practice and the only physician involvement I have is when I ask one of my psychiatrist friends for their input - but ...

Making the DNP a requirement for practice as a NP will mean opening the nurse practice acts in each of the 50 states. When the practice act for any profession is opened, it is open for review and possible revision from the public - this includes any...

As both a psychologist and PMHNP, I can tell you that university psychology departments typically only allow psychology faculty or teaching assistants to teach undergraduate courses. Graduate level course work is only taught by psychology faculty (f...

In some states, psych CNS's cannot Rx and are limited to psychotherapy. I would suggest you pursue PMHNP, not psych CNS. In my area, PMHNPs are in greater demand than FNPs and make more money.

There is a very strong demand for psych NPs. My PMHNP program of 25 had 6 FNPs who were re-specializing in psych. In some markets, FNPs are a dime-a-dozen while the PMHNPs continue to be in demand. However, the demand in psych is for prescriptive...

I'm both a clinical psychologist and PMHNP. Your services as a PMHNP will be in demand because of the ability to prescribe. No agency, hospital, or organization will pay you to do therapy. In agency settings, therapy is usually done by MSWs and LP...

If you want to be in mental health, you are going to need the PMHNP specialty. We had several FNPs doing a post-master's certification in psych because they were unable to practice in a mental health setting and get reimbursed for their services unl...

I'm both a clinical psychologist and a psych NP. You will be in demand as a PMHNP because you can prescribe and, generally, you will be well paid for it. No one will pay you to do therapy - there are many other (and cheaper) personnel to fill that ...

There are many opportunities as a psych NP. You can work in a variety of settings and generally have quite a bit of control over your hours. Your level of independence depends on the state where you practice. My state allows for independent practi...

I'm a psych NP and reside in an independent practice state. I practice completely autonomously in both my private practice and at a local psych hospital where I work 2 days/week and occasional weekends. I function in essentially the same capacity a...