Nessd429

I've also often wondered if going straight to psych would be limiting, and that then i would be in a bind if i realized it wasnt right for me. Thats where my concern is. I'm most interested in the counseling aspect of helping others, not so much the physical aspect. How much does psych nursing offer opportunities for therapy? Im guessing it varies widely depending on the type of facility one works in, and of course the degree one has. Anyway, I've also considered clinical social work because like nursing, it has diversity and options, and can have a heavy emphasis on counseling. Someone on this site said that specializing in psych then wanting to switch would be like starting from scratch. It's my understanding that "specializing" means getting a masters in a particular area of nursing? I figured that as someone with a BSN, you can jump around to different areas. Getting back to social work. . the options and employability really appeal to me, but the earnings (unlike nursing) look pretty disappointing. In fact, to be honest, the low salary is what makes me most hesitant about social work. Given that counseling is something I'm seriously interested in. . can anyone offer some insight into how these two fields compare? Thanks so much! Vanessa:rolleyes:

I agree that shadowing would eliminate wasting time and money, which is why im so concerned because i cant seem to find a place that would let me shadow a psych nurse. I was also trying to coordinate a psych shadowing position (in nyc) but every place turned me down when i told them what i was looking for. I have a few more places to call then I don't know what else to do. So I've been wanting to ask. . I'm really interested in psych nursing (especially developmental disabilities) but not really any other areas of nursing besides psych. Someone on this site made the point that I should find out if nursing in general is right for me. If I can't volunteer in psych, someone had suggested a psych nursing home which i really dont want to do. Sometimes I wonder if even my reluctance to do that could mean that nursing may not be what I want. Anyone else have any suggestions about a good place to try just to see if nursing in general is right for me? Thanks! Vanessa

My positive expectations (and I don't know how much they match up with the reality of psych nursing) is that psych nursing is a flexible, multifaceted field that allows me to work with different populations in different capacities (med management, therapy, treating physical problems, crisis intervention). I also expect that private practice is a fairly bright possibility with a masters, that the earning potential is generally good (able to earn 55k +) the job security is excellent due to demand, and that nurses are valued. My negative expectations are being overworked, stressed (but who isn't?) talked down to by doctors, and handling difficult psych patients that attempt to disrespect nurses. All these expectations, both negative and positive are what I've heard from nurses themselves but I'm sure the good largely outweighs the bad. Am I way off? Or do I have a good picture of psych nursing? Of course I am still going to try and volunteer so I can really see for myself. by the way I live in NYC, and from the way I've been following the job market, the prospects look very good here. :) Thanks! Vanessa

Thanks very much, your reply was very helpful. I guess my big concern at the moment (taking things one day at a time) is that I'd like to shadow a psych nurse but there are so many barriers with safety/confidentiality. I'm worried that I won't get a true sense of what psych nursing is really like unless i can shadow a psych nurse. If i were to apply to school w/out shadowing I'd feel like I wouldn't truly know what i was getting myself into. I live in nyc, and 've tried hospitals (both general and psychiatric) with no luck so far. Does anyone have any ideas about where I might be able to see a psych nurse in action other than hospitals? Maybe (i'm shooting the breeze here) smaller clinics, crisis intervention, or drug treatment programs where counseling is provided? Thanks everyone:) this forum has been really helpful and encouraging so far!

Hi spaniel, Thanks for your reply, you have such an interesting background. I've considered clinical psych too (the psyD since I'm not at all research oriented). I wanted to know. . what made you decide to go from a BSN to a clinical doctorate? What was your experience as a clinical psychologist like? Do you feel nursing offers better earning potential than clinical psych? I noticed you mentioned a need for diversity. . you are considering being a psych NP? Diversity is a huge thing for me, and it's why I've considered nursing. Psych nursing seems like it offers more options than a psyD would(different settings, diverse responsibilities). Opportunities for teaching are also really important for me and I dont know how much a psyD would offer in that area. Are teaching opportunities available with a BSN or is an NP necessary?

Thanks a lot for your lengthy and detailed reply! Much of what you said is true and was encouraging. You're right that its been nearly impossible to get a position in psych, but i have a contact at bellevue's psych unit - he's the chief of psychiatry so hopefully i can try and get something off the ground there. Do you (or anyone else reading this) think it would be helpful for me to volunteer in any area of nursing even if it isn't psych to see if - as you said- nursing in general is right for me? Perhaps it would be easier to coordinate something in another area of nursing. In reference to masters level psych nurses being successful, I meant personally, professionally, and financially thriving - although I know this is quite a loaded question. The info you gave me on psych CS's was encouraging. I am also very interested in the work you have experience in - consulting and teaching. This was very helpful. If you or anyone else reading this knows any psych nurses that I could contact who may be willing to do informational interviews, or that I could email with questions, that would be enormously helpful as well. I'm trying to network as much as possible. Thanks so much again! Vanessa

Hi, I'm conisidering psych nursing as a career path, and I have a lot of questions/concerns. . . If anyone can answer any ofthese questions, at all, I would really appreciate any help! It means so much to just hear different perspectives! 1) to try and find out if psych nursing is really for me, I'm trying to coordinate a volunteer position to shadow a psychiatric nurse; usually by emailing volunteer coordinators in hospitals but its not working out so far. someone suggested i contact nursing instructors as they can be valuable resources which i will definitley try. any other suggestions on how to get my foot in the door to shadow a psych nurse? 2) if i decide nursing is for me, once ive narrowed down which schools I'm interested in, how do i go about the process of figuring out which schools will accept pre-req credits from a particular college? do i ask ahead of time wht their criteria is? What if I spend a year doing pre-reqs and get rejected from schools? any advice on issues to be cautious of when one is trying to get their BA credits transferred and get pre-req credits from a community college? 3) Do CNS's & NP's generally do more therapy than BSN's or RN's? Day to day, how much therapy is involved for someone at the CNS/NP levels of practice? 4) Besides earning potential, how does psych nursing and clinical social work compare in terms of opportunities for advancement, and diversity of work opportunities? Do clinical social workers do a lot more therapy than psych nurses or is it about the same? 5) generally, how successful are masters level psych nurses in private practice? how often do they go into private practice? Is it true that someone with an MSN in psych nursing will more often than not be doing administrative work? 6) how does the outlook for private practice for psych nurses comapre with the outlook for social workers in private practice? I know this is lot. . . just throwing it all out there before it slips my mind. . . if anyone could comment it would be so helpful! Thanks a lot! too many thoughts, Vanessa *

Hi, I'm conisidering psych nursing as a career path, and I have a lot of questions/concerns. . . If anyone can answer any ofthese questions, at all, I would really appreciate any help! It means so much to just hear different perspectives! 1) to try and find out if psych nursing is really for me, I'm trying to coordinate a volunteer position to shadow a psychiatric nurse; usually by emailing volunteer coordinators in hospitals but its not working out so far. someone suggested i contact nursing instructors as they can be valuable resources which i will definitley try. any other suggestions on how to get my foot in the door to shadow a psych nurse? 2) if i decide nursing is for me, once ive narrowed down which schools I'm interested in, how do i go about the process of figuring out which schools will accept pre-req credits from a particular college? do i ask ahead of time wht their criteria is? What if I spend a year doing pre-reqs and get rejected from schools? any advice on issues to be cautious of when one is trying to get their BA credits transferred and get pre-req credits from a community college? 3) Do CNS's & NP's generally do more therapy than BSN's or RN's? Day to day, how much therapy is involved for someone at the CNS/NP levels of practice? 4) Besides earning potential, how does psych nursing and clinical social work compare in terms of opportunities for advancement, and diversity of work opportunities? Do clinical social workers do a lot more therapy than psych nurses or is it about the same? 5) generally, how successful are masters level psych nurses in private practice? how often do they go into private practice? Is it true that someone with an MSN in psych nursing will more often than not be doing administrative work? 6) how does the outlook for private practice for psych nurses comapre with the outlook for social workers in private practice? I know this is lot. . . just throwing it all out there before it slips my mind. . . if anyone could comment it would be so helpful! Thanks a lot! too many thoughts, Vanessa