Psych NP vs FNP

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Which makes the most money? And are there a lot of psych NP jobs?

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Depends on where you live. But generally psych NPs make more money and are in very high demand.

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Specializes in Family Nurse Practitioner.

Despite what you will hear psych is no longer in as much demand as it was unless you want to move to the middle of nowhere. Unfortunately those places in the middle of nowhere have the ability to pay but usually don't because the local NPs are working for peanuts.

My advice is do what you enjoy and have a talent for. We already have enough Johnny Come Latelys doing a bad job in psychiatry as it is.

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Demand depends on geographical area, salary is also commensurate with location . There is a huge shortage of Psy NP's and psychiatrists . Psy NP's tend to make more . However, choose what interests you.

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In my neck of the wood, NPs of any flavor are generally paid by productivity. Numbers.

I would definitely not recommend going into psych because you have heard it "pays well". Read some of the threads here.

I would also tell you not to go into psych without extensive RN experience in the field. You will not know what you are doing.

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Specializes in Psychiatry.

Psych NP's generally make more money but FNP's have a lot of versatility and can work in a larger variety of settings. However you need to make sure you enjoy what you do and not just go for where the money is. I would suggest shadowing both an FNP and a Psych NP if you can and then make a decision. As you can see you will get some people who are bitter because they don't like other people coming into their profession without paying "the dues" that they felt they had to pay. Ignore the negativity but remain objective and always make sure that whatever path you choose is one you would enjoy. In the end you can make good money wither either specialty as long as you put in the work and make smart decisions.

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Specializes in Family Nurse Practitioner.
As you can see you will get some people who are bitter because they don't like other people coming into their profession without paying "the dues" that they felt they had to pay. .

More like tired of having to address the poor prescribing and diagnosing when their patients decompensate and end up on my inpatient unit. That the quality of care and our reputation is tanking faster than our wages is what makes me bitter. That someone with no psychiatric experience feels this specialty is so easy they can start prescribing psychotropics to children with only 1 or 2 pharm courses is just mindblowing to me and really speaks to the lack of regard for this vulnerable population.

To those saying psych is in such high demand in addition to the plethora of post masters and As Seen on TV programs graduating large numbers of NPs, psychiatrists are on the rise also.

"Psychiatry brought 1,556 PGY-1 positions to the Match Day table this year and filled 63.1% of them with U.S. graduates – up for the fourth consecutive year – and 99.0% overall."

Match Day 218: Psychiatry increases positions and matches | Clinical Psychiatry News

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Specializes in Psychiatry.
More like tired of having to address the poor prescribing and diagnosing when their patients decompensate and end up on my inpatient unit. That the quality of care and our reputation is tanking faster than our wages is what makes me bitter. That someone with no psychiatric experience feels this specialty is so easy they can start prescribing psychotropics to children with only 1 or 2 pharm courses is just mindblowing to me and really speaks to the lack of regard for this vulnerable population.

To those saying psych is in such high demand in addition to the plethora of post masters and As Seen on TV programs graduating large numbers of NPs, psychiatrists are on the rise also.

"Psychiatry brought 1,556 PGY-1 positions to the Match Day table this year and filled 63.1% of them with U.S. graduates – up for the fourth consecutive year – and 99.0% overall."

Match Day 218: Psychiatry increases positions and matches | Clinical Psychiatry News

I do not think that a non constructive song and dance between us will change anything. The ship has sailed. You obviously have your gripes when it comes to direct entry programs and what not, that's no secret; but my response is more for the OP.

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Not just DE programs, but people who have worked as RNs in other areas, even for many years.

After getting the Psych NP, some of them truly drown.

Others work in "clinics" where handing out benzo's and stimulants, and filling out disability paperwork takes most of the day.

I encountered a patient in my LTC practice recently who attended such a clinic. She had been given a large dose of Ativan three times a day, plus a large dose of Adderall. In addition to antidepressants, and trazodone for sleep. All from a Psych NP.

This was a 50 y/o female with an extensive history of polysubstance dependence, and her PCP was giving her opioids in addition to the drugs from the NP.

As a Psych NP, this is embarrassing and deeply concerning to me.

And not the first time I have seen it.

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Specializes in Family Nurse Practitioner.
Not just DE programs, but people who have worked as RNs in other areas, even for many years.

After getting the Psych NP, some of them truly drown.

Others work in "clinics" where handing out benzo's and stimulants, and filling out disability paperwork takes most of the day.

I encountered a patient in my LTC practice recently who attended such a clinic. She had been given a large dose of Ativan three times a day, plus a large dose of Adderall. In addition to antidepressants, and trazodone for sleep. All from a Psych NP.

This was a 50 y/o female with an extensive history of polysubstance dependence, and her PCP was giving her opioids in addition to the drugs from the NP.

As a Psych NP, this is embarrassing and deeply concerning to me.

And not the first time I have seen it.

I could have written this myself and like you said is not aimed only at direct entry NPs.

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Thanks for the feedback, I have been a nurse for 11 years at a mental health hospital, but I do agency in the medical field. So I love both aspects. I may end up getting a dual degree where I can work as a NP in both worlds.

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Thanks for the feedback, I have worked at a mental health state facility for 11 years and I also do agency work in the medical field, so I have a taste of both worlds. I may end up doing a dual degree to continue working in both aspects if I can't choose.

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