Psych Mental Health NP- Competitive?

efthimia519, ADN, BSN, MSN, RN · May 3, 2016

I think it may depend on your location. I am in the greater Boston area and there is a huge need, many opportunities. Two friends of mine that graduated last May had multiple offers before they graduated. They both had many years of psych nursing experience. I applied to one program only and was accepted quickly. I had a high undergrad gpa as well as many years nsg experience. Hope this helps

efthimia519, ADN, BSN, MSN, RN · May 3, 2016

Oops forgot to say that pedi psych np are in huge demand here

ThePsychWhisperer, BSN, MSN, APRN, NP · May 3, 2016

How competitive is it to get into a Psych Mental Health NP program? Also, how hard is it to find a job after graduating? Would it be extremely difficult to find a Pediatric Psych NP job?
Thanks!

Although the FNP path remains the most popular, PMHNP has seen quite the explosion in applicants lately, not only due to the over saturation of FNP programs, but because people mistakenly believe that mental health is an easy field with a sure, cushy desk job waiting after graduation. I get notifications all the time regarding psych NP jobs, although they are almost all in another area. A lot of the job availability issue will be related to what part of the country you are in.

I will caution you though, that unless you truly love the psych field and have a commitment to helping those that often can't help themselves, do yourself and your future patients a favor and find another track to pursue.

vitiana · Jun 14, 2017

Oops forgot to say that pedi psych np are in huge demand here

I was under the impression that psychiatrists are in demand compared to PMHNP.

Jules A, MSN · Jun 14, 2017

If you can write the tuition check you can get into any NP program your little hearts desire. Thankfully in my area the Johny Come Lately's with no psych RN experience are now on the radar of reputable facilities and clinics so employers are being more particular about who they hire.

elkpark · Jun 14, 2017

If you can write the tuition check you can get into any NP program your little hearts desire. Thankfully in my area the Johny Come Lately's with no psych RN experience are now on the radar of reputable facilities and clinics so employers are being more particular about who they hire.

I disagree -- there are still some competitive schools "out there," happily ... But I agree there are far too many schools that will take anyone "with a pulse and a checkbook" (or, the updated equivalent, "a pulse and student loan eligibility").

ForensicPMHNP, MSN, NP · Jun 14, 2017

If you can write the tuition check you can get into any NP program your little hearts desire. Thankfully in my area the Johny Come Lately's with no psych RN experience are now on the radar of reputable facilities and clinics so employers are being more particular about who they hire.

Good NP programs are competitive and do not just accept anyone, you have to have the grades and the recommendations and make a good impression with your essay.Secondly, a psych RN does not necessarily translate into a good NP the two jobs are not the same. A student who goes through a good and rigorous program, graduates with a high GPA, displays good leadership and critical thinking would make more sense in that role than a mediocre person who just happened to have RN experience. One of my mentors is a very successful and respected NP who did not work as an RN prior to switching careers. We have some RN's with 2.7 GPA's getting their masters through some crappy online programs, you mean to tell me you would hire those before hiring an elite prospect from a superior program? RN experience is definitely helpful but it is far from the end all be all requirement some people on this forum make it out to be.

Jules A, MSN · Jun 15, 2017

Good NP programs are competitive and do not just accept anyone, you have to have the grades and the recommendations and make a good impression with your essay.Secondly, a psych RN does not necessarily translate into a good NP the two jobs are not the same. A student who goes through a good and rigorous program, graduates with a high GPA, displays good leadership and critical thinking would make more sense in that role than a mediocre person who just happened to have RN experience. One of my mentors is a very successful and respected NP who did not work as an RN prior to switching careers. We have some RN's with 2.7 GPA's getting their masters through some crappy online programs, you mean to tell me you would hire those before hiring an elite prospect from a superior program? RN experience is definitely helpful but it is far from the end all be all requirement some people on this forum make it out to be.

Well you seem to have it all figured out so hopefully you won't be erroneously diagnosing children and adolescents with bipolar disorder and putting them on antipsychotic drugs because they are oppositional.

In my experience even a mediocre psychRN tends to make a better diagnostician and prescriber than one who hasn't ever worked in psychiatry. As a general rule I absolutely would hire a NP with a lower gpa and psych experience over one with 4.0 and none.

I'd also wonder how students with no experience even know who is a good provider and who isn't? Spending years working with different psychiatrists and seeing the prescribing patterns and how their patient's either improved or didn't gives a different perspective. Unfortunately there is no shortage of bad programs but again in my area employers are finally wising up and requiring experience and reputable NP programs.

ForensicPMHNP, MSN, NP · Jun 15, 2017

Well you seem to have it all figured out so hopefully you won't be erroneously diagnosing children and adolescents with bipolar disorder and putting them on antipsychotic drugs because they are oppositional.
In my experience even a mediocre psychRN tends to make a better diagnostician and prescriber than one who hasn't ever worked in psychiatry. As a general rule I absolutely would hire a NP with a lower gpa and psych experience over one with 4.0 and none.
I'd also wonder how students with no experience even know who is a good provider and who isn't? Spending years working with different psychiatrists and seeing the prescribing patterns and how their patient's either improved or didn't gives a different perspective. Unfortunately there is no shortage of bad programs but again in my area employers are finally wising up and requiring experience and reputable NP programs.

No need for snark or sarcasm that's for children. None of what I said is untrue, direct entry programs from good schools are not easy and definitely do not take just anyone (believe me I know), if anything online mills are the ones that do it since they take almost anyone with a BSN or RN experience.

Again, the notion that someone would be likely to misdiagnose patients simply due to lack of RN experience is an exaggeration, RN's do not diagnose nor prescribe, they may have familiarity due to exposure but such experience does not automatically translate into a good NP, it helps but the two are not mutually inclusive.

I have had the opportunity to meet several successful NP's that work at good hospitals and have advanced steadily in their careers as well as NP's with their own practice, I am sure their words mean more to me than those of someone on the internet (no offense). Experience with direct patient care is very helpful but not vital that's a fact especially since the two jobs are and roles are vastly different, emotional intelligence, critical thinking and good deduction skills for the NP role are quite different from the qualities needed to be an RN. You make it sound as if there aren't hundreds of NP's who took that route and are doing just fine as providers. I guess we will agree to disagree.