Psych NPs

Psych NPs are hot hot hot these days. The VA alone is hiring everyone they can find with a psych certification. I think the sky is the limit.

I am psych NP. I would like you to explore other specialties of FNP route or CRNA route as well. Actually, the "sky" is very limited to psych-related positions, which is only small subset of all NP positions. Some VA facilities already easily got away with finding psych NP by hiring generalist PAs. The job is also very mentally taxing with time-constraint for both patient care and paperwork. It has its own stress. You will have to deal with drama, 'magic pills' & 'pill pushing' mentality, poor mental health funding (limited resources), manipulations, lack of receptiveness/insight of patient toward psych related care, and rampant non-compliance.. and, with all these stresses, they only want to pay you half or less of psychiatrist's salary in most places.

oh really!? thank you! :) where?

Psych in a jail. You are about to embark on the biggest rash of exaggerated lies and horse puckey of any subgroup of American society. How do I know this? Pull up a chair. That's a story of its own. I hope the job pays really, really well.

Also, I'm in about the same position you are with a psych NP program and just finished sending off an online job app to a clinic near where I'm sitting that will pay a PMHNP 130k to start with relocation and sign on. I could drive there in about 40 minutes. It's exceptionally regional in my state, as it seems there are no psychiatrists in nearly 2/3 of the state to work under, but where there are psychiatrists I see openings all the time. Once I get my position secured I'll be glad to share where I'm at.

Just as hospitals and PCPs are starting to bring in mid-levels it seems the psychiatrists are beginning to see the value with them pushing the follow-up med management visits off on the NPs - which is fine by me! I also would like to stay out of the inpatient population as much as possible. I just don't like the fluorescent lit corridor environment.

To add, in some parts of the country 130 may be nothing for a RN. Heck, a LAPD officer can make that with overtime, but here in the old south that's more than triple the average income and well more than double the average RN. So yes I'd say it's hot hot hot.

Did a short term 8week Locums contract for psych NP that was on maternity leave. Made a good amount of money, glad I tried it. Will never go back. Not for me. I'm an acute care nurse practitioner. Try to shadow that field if you really want it then go for it. 10 years as an NP, I know I could fill in as a "med management" person but never desire it as long term perm job.