julesjameson3333

I recently spoke to a man who is a former psych nurse in my area. When I told him that becoming a psych nurse was my intention, he stated that it was a "tough job". I asked him to elaborate and he responded that he got fed up with abuse happening by nurses to patients and that when he reported these abuses it backfired and found himself forced out. Unfortunately this isn't the only story I have heard about patient mistreatment in the psychiatric setting. I want to know if this is commonplace. I find this more than a little upsetting. I am hoping to hear that you are as disturbed as I am and that abuse of patients is not tolerated.

I'm planning on working for at least a year to two years after obtaining my BSN for several reasons. 1. The experience can't hurt 2. To be absolutely certain my chosen specialty is "for me", despite the fact that I feel that is. 3. I think experience would make you competitive to potential employers. However, I would not discourage someone from choosing a direct entry path, nor do I believe that someone who does take this path could not make an excellent practitioner. Good luck on your journey!

Oh, no worries on the insurance reimbursement. I was more so wondering if I would be able to perform massage therapy techniques with an RN or if that would be out of the scope of practice for nurses. Not so much if I would be able to bill through insurance.

Hello all! My question pertains to the scope of practice of nurses regarding the implementation of soft tissue therapy techniques i.e. massage therapy. Are nurses allowed to market themselves in this capacity? I did try to Google search and it appears they may be able to, at least in some states under CAM - complementary alternative medicine.- However I was not able to find anything definitive and thought I might reach out to you as opposed to calling the BON. I am in Florida currently and may also be relocating to North Carolina, if that helps. A little background I have been a massage therapist and fitness instructor for years, however I let my massage license expire and I also am determined to become a psych nurse. I am debating just getting my license back as I would be able to work during school on a very part time basis. However if I can simply utilize my experience and perform therapeutic massage sessions under the nursing scope of practice I might be inclined to save myself the hassle of getting my license back. I want to use the therapies of massage and yoga to promote mental wellness, stress reduction, and recovery from trauma. Any insight is appreciated.

I will start school (pre reqs) at 34, so I'm right there with you. In response to the rather unenlightened comments discouraging you from pursuing your goals, all I can say is that it's my belief that one should NEVER stop growing and learning. :) To say there is an age limit on when a person can improve their lives or learn new skills is a bleak outlook on life indeed. Good luck with that!

I did consider social work, but chose psych nursing for several reasons 1. better return on investment 2. Advocacy of neurodivergent population. Social workers are excellent in this capacity as well, but given nursing scope of practice we are in a unique position to help people. 3. Science. I love biology, anatomy/ physiology, pathology etc Just to reiterate I am not opposed to medication. I actually think psychopharmacology sounds interesting.

I think that all sounds very reasonable hppygr8ful. I appreciate your response.

Hello Psych nurses and Psych nurse practitioners I am a highly analytical thinker so I have put a tremendous amount of research into which career I believe I would be best suited for. I circle back to Psych nursing (eventually NP) often. One thing keeps nagging me though... I am a supporter of the neurodiversity paradigm. Are any of you familiar with this concept? Essentially it is a belief that many of the conditions/ disorders/ and illnesses present in the DSM are natural variations of the human mind. I learned about it through the autistic community which I am very familiar with, but also extends to schizophrenia, bi-polar, etc. Which admittedly I am not as familiar with these conditions. It is my belief that as a mental health professional intervention should be done in accordance with the desires of the patient. To clear up a few things, some people who espouse these beliefs like to take meds, some don't, all are pro choice. Also none of them would object to interventions where the person would be at risk of harming others or themselves. I'm particularly adverse to the idea of pathologizing autism. I would love to be able to work with the neurodivergent community instead of against them. Unfortunately the state I am located in now (Florida) is restrictive to the scope of practice of the NP. I don't feel pursuing an MD is a viable option personally. It is a consideration of mine to move to an independent practice state. So basically I am worried about investing time and money into a career and then being forced to work under a physician who maybe has opposing views. I would also like to get some feedback about your thoughts on neurodiversity and psychiatry as being able to co mingle. Thank you!

What state are you located in? I also have a misdemeanor I called the board of nursing (FL) and was told that while he doesn't think I should feel discouraged, that the BON looks at each case on a case by case basis and that I could not receive a definitive "yes" or "no" until after I passed the NCLEX and applied... I'm still going to pursue nursing though. Good luck, let me know how it turns out.

WOW I feel so encouraged, Thank you!

@AliNajaCat Exactly! My husband is a great dad and that definitely helps!

@Shookclays Wow! See I can't imagine being a single mom. I guess sometimes you don't really know what you're capable of until you try. Kudos to your cousin.. Yeah, I see what you're saying about waiting until after you get your RN, but it seems there never is really a convenient time to have a baby because I would want to start working upon receiving my RN. You see my thought process was to get pregnant while in school because school might be a tad more flexible than work with the option of taking as many classes online as possible. Then by the time baby two is in kindergarten or VPK entering the workforce again. Also I am thirty three so I feel time is a ticking to have anymore children.

I suppose if it becomes too overwhelming I can switch to part time. However, being in my early thirties I would like to finish sooner than later.

Hello! I am planning on starting school for nursing this upcoming year. I have no college experience and thus will be starting from scratch. My husband I have one son in school already and we're talking about having another baby. So, my question to you all is this... Is it unrealistic to plan on having a newborn, a five year old, and pursue college full time? Also, fortunately I won't have to worry about working as my husband's job can provide for us in the meantime. Thanks in advance for any insight

Are there any PMHNP or those in the know who could share some details about hours per week worked? Also if you could include work setting (in patient, out patient, correctional facility, etc.)? I've looked at job postings advertising 40 hrs, no weekends, no holidays, no on call... Seems pretty sweet! almost too good to be true.

How many doubles would you be mandated to work per week?

It has mentioned more than once that finding preceptors is an issue with many online programs. I wonder how difficult it is to find someone? Hmmmm

PsychGuy, APRN, NP. I see your located in the South. If you don't mind being asked, what state are you in?

Hi I've been weighing the pros and cons of careers in the mental health field as well. It seems that your ability to be able to provide psychotherapy as a RN or PMHNP really depends on where you work. As Jules A mentioned it would make more financial sense for a psychologist or social worker to provide therapy, but that doesn't mean you wouldn't be able to once you've received training. I know most people who are attracted to this field aren't in it for the money, but nursing would probably be a better return on your investment. I also like nursing because you get exposed to many other sectors of healthcare some that you might not even know you love until you're in it. So nursing can open lots of doors. You can even get a dual degree in psychology and nursing. If you decide nursing isn't for you, you can always pursue a degree in social work or psychology, then complete your medical pre reqs and apply for medical school to be a psychiatrist. Actually you could do that with a BSN as well. Good Luck!

I have always worked in healthcare in some capacity, but never mental health, now I've decided to go to college and this is the field (mental health) that speaks to me the most. I think nursing as opposed to psychology or social work for example is my best bet. I like that nursing will expose me to other specialties so I can make an informed decision before pursuing my Master's. So while I am open to other specialties and I realize I may change my mind later, Psych is the one I am always drawn back to. So, I want to know exactly what it is like? The good and the bad. Some questions I have in particular.. 1. Is it emotionally taxing? In particular working with young people. I understand many have had bad experiences. Does it ever feel like it gets to be too much? 2. Is it dangerous? How common is it for patients to become combative? Are there adequate measures in place to protect the safety of the staff? *note: I realize not everyone who has psychiatric issues is violent 3. What makes a psych nurse a great psych nurse? Qualities of that person and/or skills needed? 4. If psych does prove to be what I'm still interested in, should I go right into psych or get experience on another floor first like med surgical first? 5. Do psych nurses deal with a stigma of their own? 6. What kind of recovery do you see with patients? For PMHNP... 1. Do you get to do psychotherapy? 2. Are you treated well by Psychiatrists? Do you feel like part of a team and valued? 3. Do you get to treat more acute cases? If so, do you always feel prepared to do so? 4. Where do did you receive your training? What are things to look for in a good program? 5. Any thoughts on what the job market trends should be for the next 5, 10, years and beyond? 6. Are you also a FNP or would you have preferred doing an FNP instead? Thanks!

Thanks for the responses everyone. I'm thinking way into the future, as usual. I won't even begin working towards my ADN until August, but I know I want to ultimately get an advanced degree. I'm in my early thirities so I was wondering how long it should take me to complete my formal education. *** Never Stop Learning and Growing*** :)

I know autism presents differently in women as opposed to men and females can pass as neurotypical more easily than their male counterparts. This in turn has lead to the disproportionate rates amongst the sexes. Also self diagnosis is considerably well respected amongst the autistic community.

How could I forget I also love to paint. I have a Facebook page, Art by Jewelz

I love to learn and I'm constantly reading because of this, be it on the internet or books. Most of the books I read are non fictional, I especially like to learn about theology, indigenous cultures, and neurology and psychology. I'm a pretty darn good cook too, the spicier the better! I love my family. I have a husband who is my best friend and one child, 4 yo boy. I wish I could travel more. I spent a year in Argentina in high school. It was amazing. Now that I have bills and family traveling internationally is exceedingly difficult. Really hope this changes. I also love to run and be outside. especially the beach!

Opinions on how long one should work as a psych RN before pursuing PMHNP? Or on a medical floor before FNP for that matter? Thanks!