Published May 8, 2020
lanersa
4 Posts
I'd love to become a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner. The only program available to me is Family Nurse Practitioner, so my question is;
Is there a way to specialize in psychiatry as a np, or does one need to choose specialization before entering the program.I know my question may seem silly, but I don't know any NP at my workplace and information online isn't as clear as I'd like.
Thanks in advance.
umbdude, MSN, APRN
1,228 Posts
Yes PMHNP is a specialty. You might have to explore other schools that offer PMHNP.
guineachick, MSN, APRN, NP
48 Posts
Not without the PMHNP. If you get your FNP and practice in psych you will be risking your license as you would be outside of your scope of practice. Big no-no in advanced practice. Why is FNP your only option?
48 minutes ago, guineachick said:Not without the PMHNP. If you get your FNP and practice in psych you will be risking your license as you would be outside of your scope of practice. Big no-no in advanced practice. Why is FNP your only option?
Thank you for clarifying.The reason is because I live in Puerto Rico and it's the only program available that is accredited in USA . I can't go to the States to another program at the moment because of family related issues (taking care of grandma). I'm sure I'll eventually move there, but I hoped that by then I'd be a NP. Figured I'd get the degree here since it's so much cheaper too.
6 minutes ago, lanersa said:Thank you for clarifying.The reason is because I live in Puerto Rico and it's the only program available that is accredited in USA . I can't go to the States to another program at the moment because of family related issues (taking care of grandma). I'm sure I'll eventually move there, but I hoped that by then I'd be a NP. Figured I'd get the degree here since it's so much cheaper too.
What about an online program? Most programs don't have you start clinical right away so maybe your situation would change by the time you're expected to start.
10 minutes ago, guineachick said:What about an online program? Most programs don't have you start clinical right away so maybe your situation would change by the time you're expected to start.
That's a really good idea! I'll get on researching the best programs right away.
Thank you so much for your time and input.