cmhnp

Meh, Ive seen both sides of this, and already stopped worrying about it. I am an FNP with thorough hx in the psych field. On one hand, the extra eyes in the room is to CYA, period. Its great if the patient feels better too, don't get me wrong, but I'm selfish on this one; its protective. I have had an equal number of women who perfer men to women performing paps/pelvics and an almost equal handful that don't care what the gender, as long as they've performed many, and are "good" at them. In my experience, with how much womens body's are subjected to on a regular basis, it really is the guys who are more sensitive on this issue. Beyond the turn your head and cough deal, they are not used to this much invasion of their personal space. Past any of the above stated, their comfort isn't about you, it's about them in a vulnerable position. Theyre not your buddy, and should not have to worry about your feelings on this one. It is not only our job to assess and perform skills, but also to be understanding to their needs, concerns, worries etc...

Ok, so it sounds like you are on track for what you want to do, and that is awesome! You and I actually have pretty similar backgrounds. I have an undergrad in psych, worked for a few years in MASS with children and adolescents on the autism spectrum, worked ems, then came back to Ohio and worked direct patient care in a state psych facility while going to school for my FNP. I completed a grad entry program about a year ago now and work for a FQHC funded community mental health center providing primary care. Have you considered one of the grad entry programs? they are a lot of work, but older students who know what real work is typically do very well in them. Loan repayment programs...... Ok, so the facility in which you practice would have to have a HPSA score for it to qualify (you will have to google HPSA score finder and it will bring you to a page that will list them by location). Loan forgiveness is strongly based on the HPSA scores of practices, the higher the better. All those applications for forgiveness who work at locations with a 14 or higher are processed first, and then those with lower 14 in decending order. This means (for me), my organization works with homeless, unstable housed, chronic mentally ill patients who typically do not have access to care. However, because my organization is urban and located between 3 major health networks/hospitals, their HPSA score is 0, leaving me with little chance of being awarded loan repayment. Seeing that you are not done with school, you can also apply to scholarships that work largely the same way, with the obligation to work in a shortage area (one that has a HPSA score) for a set time post graduation.

Oh hell, that is one loaded question. In a nutshell, it depends on you, your state, your experience, your passion or population of choice. I am an FNP in Ohio with background teaching children and adolescents on the autism spectrum, have worked in state mental health facilities and as a psych RN. My first job so far has been in a mobile primary coach serving homeless and chronic mental health patients for a community mental health clinic. I was used to aggressive, frustrated, complex scenarios where our nursing theory and interactions that seemed "all fluff" are actually put to use. For me, it was a perfect fit, for others, not so much. I hate getting questions as answers, but what is your background? What do you like? or at the least, what would you hate to do 40+ hours/day?

exactly as stated above, this is a "what state do you live in" question. I am an FNP in Ohio, and our board gets tricky on these types of questions. They often rely on the exact semantics of what is listed in ORC and OAC for laws and rules. Our board is quick to tell you what the laws and admin say, as well as their thoughts on it if you call to speak with them about it. My advice is to call your board. Many MDs have the misconception that you can do anything that is within their scope and that they are comfortable with you doing. This in essence, in many states is the primary difference b/w NPs and PAs..... Just be careful, if it feels fishy, it proabably is.