Psych NP school

[GaNicuRN14]

I have been a nurse for 6 years now, with that entire time being NICU. I have always had an interest in mental health and have lately been considering going to school for my PMHNP. I currently have a MSN in nursing education, so I would be able to do a post master's certificate program. My first question, is it possible to transition to a psych NP role with no mental health experience? And second, how rigorous is the program? I have am almost one year old at home so wondering how well I can balance school, work and family. The plus side is I currently work part time so I work 2 nights a week. We often have downtime so I am also able to study while at work sometimes. Any opinions or advice is much appreciated!!

[MentalKlarity, BSN, NP]

Do you have an interest in mental health or do you feel there's more money as a PMHNP? If that's the case, be aware the field is saturating like crazy. There's no guarantee salaries will be high or jobs available in 2-3 years. You'd have much more demand and experience as a NICU NP.

 

I highly recommend maybe trying to transfer to a psych unit and see if you like it before doing an entire PMHNP program.

 

As for programs, good ones are definitely demanding as they should be if you're trying to become a provider. Don't fall for the for-profit advertising you see online for "easy programs" like Walden, Chamberlain, etc. Those schools are diploma mills.

[armezaRN, ADN, BSN]

Hi there I don’t have any insight but I am also a NICU nurse who is  going to apply to a PMHNP program. Have you applied anywhere yet?

[CommunityRNBSN, BSN, RN]

There are some people in my PMHNP who don’t have specific psych experience, but most of them have something a little closer than NICU (for example— ER, where they see a lot of psych emergencies). Could you take a per diem psych job or something to gain some experience and be sure you actually like the field? 

[matthewandrew, NP]

Having psych experience would be very helpful but not required. You would need to do some heavy reviewing before starting a program if you don’t have experience.