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umbdude BSN, RN

Psych/Mental Health
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umbdude has 3 years experience as a BSN, RN and specializes in Psych/Mental Health.

Currently in the final year of my PMHNP program. I've worked as a psych nurse for ~2 years and worked inpatient as a Mental Health Tech for 3 years during my BSN program. Prior to nursing I worked in finance for 13 years.

umbdude's Latest Activity

  1. umbdude

    FNP working in psych

    umbdude replied to Combative's topic in NP

    There are risks. See link below and be informed, and how much risk you take is up to you. Be cautious about the promise of getting the "lightest" cases. Sub-acute can easily turn into a acute or worse. https://www.npjournal.org/article/S1555-4155(18)31013-4/fulltext
  2. umbdude

    PMHNP

    umbdude replied to Flightmed123's topic in NP

    There are some psych settings where having FNP/AGNP is beneficial (e.g., a facility with little to no internal med support), but overall I don't think it's worth the time/money to get, and then maintain, an additional cert if your main interest is to practice psych.
  3. umbdude

    ANCC EXAM REVIEW TIPS PMHNP exam

    umbdude replied to MissMemphis05's topic in NP

    What is the "yellow" book? Thanks.
  4. umbdude

    NP schools without an RN license

    umbdude replied to Sun1's topic in NP Students

    There are hundreds of them out there. Have you done any research on your own? Online is most likely not an option for Direct-entry programs due to the clinical rotations during the RN portion of the program.
  5. umbdude
    Since you have such a specific area of interest and you already know internal med is not your interest, Hospital B (ortho) sounds more aligned with your goals. Also, you're halfway through your NP program so once you're done you'll be a "new grad" and probably leave Hospital A anyways, so I wouldn't worry about the seniority factor. I think breaking into these medical specialties is difficult, so maintaining the specialty connections and clinical expertise would be a top priority. Most ortho NP jobs will probably require experience in that area to begin with. Just my 2 cents. Good luck. I had 2 ortho NPs take care of me before and after my shoulder surgery. They were awesome.
  6. umbdude

    Which pathway is more likely to gain admission

    umbdude replied to FiremedicMike's topic in NP Students

    I see. That makes sense.
  7. umbdude
    $200k is not worth it. Both nursing programs are highly rated and nobody would care which one you went to. There's really no way to justify the extra $140k in cost.
  8. umbdude

    Critical care RN to PMHNP, am I crazy? Looking for advice

    umbdude replied to ScottMedicRN's topic in Advanced

    I'm in the last year of a PMHNP program and have worked in mental health for 4+ years. My clinical placements include inpatient psych and running a CBT group. I know quite a few Psych NPs who focus primarily on providing therapy (not only CBT but a variety of approaches). One of my classmates is in a private practice that combines med management & therapy. Sure, PMHNP training doesn't go in-depth into psychotherapy. That doesn't change the fact that PMHNP can technically bill for therapy. Among various therapeutic models, CBT is one of the therapies that, IMO, is easier to pick up on. I do encourage getting more training and there are plenty of training out there for CBT. Personally I have no interest in providing psychotherapy, but in responding to OP's question about whether it's possible to conduct therapy (CBT in particular) as a PMHNP, my response is yes.
  9. umbdude

    Critical care RN to PMHNP, am I crazy? Looking for advice

    umbdude replied to ScottMedicRN's topic in Advanced

    It's always good to shadow if you can, and your lack of psych RN experience won't hurt you. However, it's good to have some experience working with psych patients to make sure you like this population. A lot of psych NPs are jaded, so it's important to know that you have a genuine interest. First off, you technically can perform CBT as a PMHNP and bill for it (even as a new grad). You can get certified later on to get more in-depth training. I would recommend getting your clinical placement with a preceptor who performs therapy to get more training. IMO, CBT is not too difficult because the process is logical and easy to grasp (unlike EMDR), and you can literally follow a manual. Having psych RN's therapeutic communication style and personal therapy experience will help a lot as well. Many community health centers want PMHNPs to prescribe meds because they already have therapists in-house. So your best bet is to join a private practice group or any outpatient facility that allows you to book therapy appointments. You might not be able to make as much money though.
  10. umbdude

    PMHNP compensation and benefits Southeast

    umbdude replied to srleslie's topic in Advanced

    Keep looking
  11. umbdude

    Addiction Medicine & NP role

    umbdude replied to HAL_APRN19's topic in NP

    It depends on what you're doing there. If it's simply helping people detox or starting/continuing them on MAT, it should be fine. However, many of these folks are on numerous psychiatric meds and it's important not to tinker with the meds that are out of your scope (e.g., mood stabilizers and antipsychotics). The line can be blurry at times and sometimes supervising MDs aren't aware of NP scope.
  12. umbdude

    NP Worries

    umbdude replied to NewADNnurse2018's topic in NP Students

    That has not my experience. My school is in fact the only place that teaches me how to diagnose methodically. In my clinical preceptorship setting there's usually not enough time to make an accurate diagnosis since the goal is to stabilize and discharge. Often there are provisional diagnoses but the focus is on stabilizing severe symptoms with meds. I appreciate that my NP program provides me with a framework on diagnosis and treatment, while my clinical preceptorship shows me how things are done in real life. They go hand-in-hand.
  13. umbdude

    NP and DNP students- hours studying??

    umbdude replied to yourgoodneighbor's topic in NP Students

    I'm in a part-time, 3-year, NP program (not DNP). I was already a RN when I went into the program. I'm physically in class about 6 hours weekly (2 classes per semester). During non-clinical semesters I spent anywhere between 14-30 hours a week outside of class for school work. I'm in my clinical year now (final 2 semesters) and I spend about 30-40 hours a week outside of class for clinical and school work.
  14. umbdude

    DNP capstone (PMHNP)

    umbdude replied to adammRN's topic in NP Students

    It sounds like you want to put in some sort of educational program for patients taking psychotropics about the use of contraceptives to avoid pregnancy (if the patients wish). I guess you can measure rates of contraceptive use among your population, before and after your educational program. I do think this might be a touchy subject, however. Imagine if a patient mistaken you for trying to "push" contraception on her...that might come across (for some) as you trying to keep psych patients from having kids because they have a mental illness. I would tread this very carefully. Also, in the real world, providers find ways to work around pregnancy issues based on the individual patient, and it's done all the time.
  15. umbdude

    Switch Job or Leave Job for NP School

    umbdude replied to tothepointe's topic in NP Students

    Med-surg is unnecessary. A bit of psych RN experience is beneficial. Many Psych NP students, including myself, work part-time or per diem as a psych nurse while go to PMHNP school part time. In the end, though, the only experience that matters is Psych NP experience. So even if you go right to PMHNP, you'll eventually be fine. I'd just suggest going to a reputable/rigorous program and do a lot of self learning.
  16. umbdude

    Struggling with pharm

    umbdude replied to russianbear's topic in NP Students

    Have you talked to your professor so you can sit down and go over what you did wrong? That's really the only way to figure out how you're struggling and find ways to fix things. Good luck!
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