Psych NP salaries...

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Just curious...does anyone know how psych NP salaries compare to adult care and acute care NP's?

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Psych NP's usually make quite a bit more money IF you can actually find a job in that field. There are some psychiatrists in my town (pop >300,000) and they use NP's/PA's to refill medications...in fact, a FNP can do that job without any further training (I confirmed this with the TX BON). In my city, the psychiatrists really restrict what a Psych NP can do. The Psych NP's aren't allowed to see patients on the psych units or see new patients. They aren't allowed to give a "new" diagnosis to the patients either...just refill meds and monitor labs. One of the psychiatrists pays a FNP $20/pt to refill prescriptions. I believe she averages 4 patients per hour...$$$$! The good thing is that she can always leave and go into another field if she gets burned out (easy to do in psych). However, a Psych NP is STUCK and can only work in psych. I would check to see how the psychiatrists practice in your location before wasting a bunch of $$$ on school.

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This is changing. In states where NPs practice independently, you have to be certified in your area of expertise or this will be required soon. BONs are becoming more restrictive and FNPs functioning in a psych role are becoming less common. In my PMHNP class, there were 3 FNPs doing a psych post master's re-certification because they were no longer being able to function in a psych role and be eligible for reimbursement. Again, this is generally in states where NPs are independent. Texas, for example, is different because NPs have to be supervised, but when you are in an autonomous role, it is not so easy to float between specialties.

As far as salaries, psych NPs tend to make quite a bit comparatively. Here in Arizona, NPs are fully autonomous and practice independently of any supervision or required collaboration. A PMHNP can essentially do everything a psychiatrist can do here and salaries in the $100,000-120,000 range in CMHCs are the norm. The local prisons pay even more. Private practice depends on how hard you want to work. But, again, you have to be a certified PMHNP to get the job - they will not consider a FNP or other speciality. But, make sure that psych is what you want to do because you will have to practice in a psych setting when you're done if you go the PMHNP route.

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This is changing. In states where NPs practice independently, you have to be certified in your area of expertise or this will be required soon. BONs are becoming more restrictive and FNPs functioning in a psych role are becoming less common. In my PMHNP class, there were 3 FNPs doing a psych post master's re-certification because they were no longer being able to function in a psych role and be eligible for reimbursement. Again, this is generally in states where NPs are independent. Texas, for example, is different because NPs have to be supervised, but when you are in an autonomous role, it is not so easy to float between specialties.

As far as salaries, psych NPs tend to make quite a bit comparatively. Here in Arizona, NPs are fully autonomous and practice independently of any supervision or required collaboration. A PMHNP can essentially do everything a psychiatrist can do here and salaries in the $100,000-120,000 range in CMHCs are the norm. The local prisons pay even more. Private practice depends on how hard you want to work. But, again, you have to be a certified PMHNP to get the job - they will not consider a FNP or other speciality. But, make sure that psych is what you want to do because you will have to practice in a psych setting when you're done if you go the PMHNP route.

Actually, Texas is very strict about NP's practicing within their specialty. However, they WILL let FNP's refill psych meds, but we aren't allowed to diagnose the patient. I didn't realize this until a psychiatrist told me that, so I called the TX Board of Nursing and got the information confirmed.

The psychiatrists in this town won't let Psych NP's diagnose patients anyway, so it doesn't really matter who they have working for them. In fact, a lot of the patients don't have a PCP, so the FNP can treat them for those needs...kinda like "one stop shopping." Of course, the PCP's HATE it when that happens...they want the $$$!

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I'm reading a lot of "Psychiatrists around here don't let Psych NPs do..." So do psychiatrists dictate what psych NPs can do??? (Pardon my ignorance on the subject)

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I'm reading a lot of "Psychiatrists around here don't let Psych NPs do..." So do psychiatrists dictate what psych NPs can do??? (Pardon my ignorance on the subject)

The short answer is "no." It largely depends on your state's nurse practice act. I'm in Arizona and all NPs here are independent and have full autonomy. Psychiatrists have no say in what I do nor does any other physician for any other NP. I'm in private practice and do what I damn well please and I am the only one accountable for my clinical decisions.

Agencies and hospitals may still have some restrictions regarding credentialing and privileges; even though state law allows fully independent practice, some institutions may restrict what certain professionals (including NPs) can do in their particular setting.

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The short answer is "no." It largely depends on your state's nurse practice act. I'm in Arizona and all NPs here are independent and have full autonomy. Psychiatrists have no say in what I do nor does any other physician for any other NP. I'm in private practice and do what I damn well please and I am the only one accountable for my clinical decisions.

Agencies and hospitals may still have some restrictions regarding credentialing and privileges; even though state law allows fully independent practice, some institutions may restrict what certain professionals (including NPs) can do in their particular setting.

You are so lucky to be in Arizona. I have a friend who is a Psych NP and she's originally from Arizona, but she made the "mistake" of moving to Texas. She opened her own practice and soon found out exactly how we're restricted in this state.

There are only 14 states that allows NPs to practice independently. The TXBON states that we practice independently and in collaboration with other health care providers HOWEVER, prescriptive authority is granted by a PHYSICIAN and so is the practice of diagnosing patients. We now have to submit prescriptive authorization forms to the medical board and they've established a website with this information, so we can be tracked (this started this year). We also have to have a collaborative/practice agreement with a physician granting us the power to diagnose illnesses. Also, we can own our own practices, but the collaborative physician must be present 10% of the time we're practicing and they must review 10% of our charts every 30 days. However, these requirements were decreased from 20% just a few months ago, so I shouldn't complain (but I will anyway!).:mad:

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Specializes in Psychiatry.
The short answer is "no." It largely depends on your state's nurse practice act. I'm in Arizona and all NPs here are independent and have full autonomy. Psychiatrists have no say in what I do nor does any other physician for any other NP. I'm in private practice and do what I damn well please and I am the only one accountable for my clinical decisions.

Agencies and hospitals may still have some restrictions regarding credentialing and privileges; even though state law allows fully independent practice, some institutions may restrict what certain professionals (including NPs) can do in their particular setting.

I know about the states where there is no BOM oversight, but I heard that you still need a collaborative practice with an MD in those states if you want to bill Medicare. Is that true?

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