luckylady5

Thank you for your response PsychGuy!

She billed $300 and netted $220 and got a $20 co-pay. I understand that she has lots of expenses that she's responsible for because she has a private practice, but even so - to make $200,000 working 15 hours per week? So if she worked 40 hours it would be about $500,000. Is that really what PMHNPs make?

Anyone? í ½í¹

Hi - I have been reading these posts for years and have learned so much! I will be starting my program next year and have a question. I have a friend in private practice - she does both medication management and therapy. Most patients have BCBS and she is paid about $240 for 45 mins. which includes medication and therapy. I know that it all depends on insurance and that many people don't want therapy, but it seems that based on these numbers she could work 5 hours a day, 3 days a week and still make almost $200,000 a year (I'm not taking out for insurance, sick pay, vacation, retirement etc.) Does this sound right? It almost sounds too good to be true to me.

Jules A - can you give any more details about your background and current job and experiences? I'm in a Boston suburb and have wanted for years to go back to school for PMHNP. I have a family and a little nervous about the time and financial commitment and that the outlook won't be as great by the time I'm ready for a job. Thank you for any info :)

Wow knlake, thank you for all of that information - definitely something to think about! It sounds like they have a lot of issues and not much interest in addressing them :/

Knlake - I'm sorry you are not happy with your program! Are you willing to give us a little more info as to why you aren't happy at Regis? I think it would be helpful to those of us who are considering this school to hear. Thank you and good luck :)

Hi - can any Massachusetts PMHNPs respond and give me an idea of what it's like to practice here, particularly those of you who have your own private practice as this is my ultimate goal. I have been reading this forum for several years and have learned so much! I've also been contemplating this career for several years, and now that my children are a bit older it is really time for me to figure out and do whatever I can to get accepted into a good local program. Thank you in advance!

No you don't need a science degree, just take the prerequisites for the school to which you are interested in applying. I'm in MA too ☺️

Hi - I know that it was common in the past for nurses to get sign-on bonuses and help with relocation, but not very common now. I've seen some job advertisements lately for PMHNPs which offer both; is that standard for this particular position? Maybe it varies based on location - I'm in the Boston MA area. Thank you for any information ?

Thank you for the response Averykat. Can you give me an idea of salaries in this area? Again, I know there are lots of variables and most of the job postings I've read don't include salary. Thank you :)

Thank you for the responses. I have read that PMHNPs are in demand - does this fact make it easier for a new NP to gain employment with no prior experience? From what I'm reading on this site, some people are having trouble finding jobs, so I'm curious. I look on Indeed to get an idea of jobs in my area and I don't see much!

I know that the answer to this will depend on where in the country you are - but I'm just curious if it is more common than not that a new PMHNP graduate in the NE (Boston area) would have a job even before graduating? And how generally are these jobs found - are students sought after by headhunters or do you search for jobs far in advance on your own? Thank you in advance :)

Thank you for your comments so far! Yes there are many direct entry PMHNP programs in Massachusetts alone (where I am). I am not an RN and have no medical experience. Schools that I'm interested in applying to include Boston College and Regis.

Any advice :)

Hi everyone - I need some advice! Some background first: i have been a stay home mom for a long time and have no medical background.I have always been interested in doing something in mental health and have thought about going back to school to be a LICSW or clinical psychologist, and more recently have become very interested in becoming a PMHNP. I applied to 2 programs and was not accepted at one and wailisted at the other (and rightly so - I was not properly prepared and not a very competitive applicant in any other way besides my non-science GPA, which is good.) I started to think that maybe I would just do an MSW and become a therapist. I think I would do very well in MSW classes, and I know I would enjoy the classes and the work, but it takes at least 2 years of full time work after the MSW degree to become licensed to be an independent therapist. I'm also very concerned at what I'm reading regarding salary prospects for a LICSW in private practice. I have a large family and a good amount of debt already, and don't want to take on more debt if it won't make sense financially. Almost everything about the PMHNP seems like it would be perfect for me, but I am very concerned about getting through the science classes and some of the nursing clinicals. I am not naturally good at science and honestly the "gross" parts of bedside nursing have me worried - I don't know if I will be able to handle certain things without actually vomiting. But I also hope that I could just get through it with my end goal in mind. So the reason for this long winded post? I'm thinking that maybe I should get an MSW first, then apply to NP schools? This might be helpful in that it would show that I can succeed in graduate level work, show that I'm suited to working in mental health (I took several SW classes in college and got As), and may allow me to waive the GRE. I also love the idea of incorporating talk therapy into my own private practice in the future, so the MSW will certainly help with that. With all that said - I'm in my early 40s, and I'm worried that ill take too long to finally have the career I want! My youngest child just started school this year, so I have free time during the day for the first time in a LONG time, but it would be great if I could start earning money sooner rather than later. My husband has supported a family of 7 by himself and I'd love to be able to make a real financial contribution to my family. So sorry if this is a long and meandering post - I' m typing on my phone! I'd love to hear any advice you have :)

BostonFNP, could you mention which one should be avoided? I'm hoping to apply for next year and I feel like I don't have a clue. Is there one Boston school that's really bad, and could you explain why? I appreciate it!

Nobody?

Hi everyone - I haven't posted on here in quite a while, but thought I would today. I had been very interested in pursuing a direct entry PMHNP, but in recent months kind of have up on that plan in favor of becoming a LICSW, but I find that I'm just not as excited about the prospects likely available to me if I got an MSW, and still really interested in the nurse practitioner role. I have tried to research, but there just doesn't seem to be that much info available, so I'm hoping I can get some here. Any information would be helpful, and I'm specifically curious about good job prospects in Boston area suburbs, starting pay in this area, are these jobs plentiful (I look on Indeed etc. and don't see much), and anything else you care to share! FYI I am non-traditional age (42) and part of what is holding me back is that I'm worried about being too old and all the debt involved. At this point in my life I basically need a sure thing, or as close to one as I can get. I'm certain I would love the work, I just want to make sure I'll be able to get a good job! Thank you for any responses :)

Dragonballz, please let us know how your job interview goes and pass on any useful information! I am still (3 years later) trying to determine if this is the right move for me, as I have young children and they keep me so unbelievably busy, I almost feel guilty at the thought of moving forward with my plan, but it is something that I think about every single day. My second biggest concern is the financial factor - 5 kids, a mortgage, tuitions etc...I can never seem to get a concrete answer re: pay scale; most of the jobs listed on indeed.com just don't address pay at all! For many people, there is a big difference in starting off making $60,000 versus $90,000+, especially when I already have lots of debt! Thanks in advance and best of luck to you :)

I am planning and hoping to become a Psychiatric NP and just thinking ahead...is it both possible and profitable to open a small private practice? I know the costs are relatively low for this type of practice, and I am curious as to what kind of income could be expected from such a business. Thank you for any information!

I'd like to know about this too! Anyone?

Hello, can anyone tell me how long it takes to get a BSN when I already have an undergraduate degree (non-science). Thank you!

Hi! I am interested in becoming a Psych NP and have a degree in a different field. I applied to a direct-entry program last year and was waitlisted. Now I'm wondering if I should apply to an RN program and then continue on for NP? Can anyone tell me how long this might take for a person who already has a degree? Obviously if it takes longer than a year, I guess it wouldn't be worth it, since direct-entry programs are 3 years long with usually 1 year for the RN or BSN. I'm also wondering if it is even possible to get into an RN program for September since it's already May? Thanks for any help!

Thank you for the replies; all good points I hadn't thought of.