Psych nursing question?

[Infofreak411]

Yes it's info freak back again this time with a different approach and question lol

So I recent got a job working in the hospital in the behavioral health unit working g with the nurses and I absolutely love it! I am so fascinated by psych and intrigued with all that the nurses do. I help them run groups, vitals, patient care, restraining, charting among other things and love it. I am even so interested and fascinated in the psychotropic medications and their mechanism of action and how they work. I love the challenge, the unpredictability of patients and look forward to going in. I also love working as part of an interdisciplinarily team with social workers and occupational therapists.

Needless to say there is no doubt in my mind nursing is for me and I am really considering going back to be a month health aprn.

My question is however, is it realistic to go into nursing with the intent of only wanting to specialize in psych? Not that I have an issue with other areas of nursing it's just doesn't really interest me.

Also I would be doing an rn to msn bridge program since I already have a degree. Some other question is, is the Dnp requirement going into effect anytime soon? Because I don't want to get through the associates portion only for them to tell me they changed it and I now have to get a doctorate.

[elkpark]

There is no DNP "requirement," and there's not likely to be one any time soon (although the general trend is clearly in the direction of the DNP).

Most nurses have one or a few areas of nursing that are their predominant interest, and there's nothing unusual about that. It's also true that lots of nurses started school quite sure that they knew what area of nursing they wanted to specialize in, only to find, in the course of being exposed to all the different areas of school, that they are more interested in something else entirely. It's all good.

I would focus on finishing nursing school, getting licensed, and getting some experience before worrying about what kind of graduate degree you want to get. :) Best wishes!

[Whispera, MSN, RN]

When I graduated, I knew psych was one of two specialties in which I wanted to work. I got a job in psych, and have loved it since then, in spite of detours along the way due to what was called "downsizing.". Since you are working in it now, you have a better chance of landing a job than someone who has no experience. I know I got my psych job because I had similar experience before I became a nurse.

I don't know what will become of the future DNP requirement. At this point there aren't enough DNPs to do all the work NPs have to do, so the requirement may not kick in by any particular deadline. I don't see facilities requiring the NPs they already have, to get their DNPs, but eventually they may not hire NPs without doctorates. I bet facilities will strongly encourage their current NPs to upgrade, however.

My grad school no longer offers a NP program...it's just a DNP program now. This may the a wave of the future.

[Infofreak411]

When I graduated, I knew psych was one of two specialties in which I wanted to work. I got a job in psych, and have loved it since then, in spite of detours along the way due to what was called "downsizing.". Since you are working in it now, you have a better chance of landing a job than someone who has no experience. I know I got my psych job because I had similar experience before I became a nurse.

I don't know what will become of the future DNP requirement. At this point there aren't enough DNPs to do all the work NPs have to do, so the requirement may not kick in by any particular deadline. I don't see facilities requiring the NPs they already have, to get their DNPs, but eventually they may not hire NPs without doctorates. I bet facilities will strongly encourage their current NPs to upgrade, however.

My grad school no longer offers a NP program...it's just a DNP program now. This may the a wave of the future.

Thank you so much for the advice! I actually was just talking to my friend that's a nurse about the same thing. She said I may have a rotation in something other than psych and fall absolutely in love with it. I guess the diversity in nursing is one of the beauties of the field.