Psychiatric Nurse Education Path?

elkpark · Aug 31, 2009

Welcome to allnurses! :balloons:

1. To pursue a career in psychiatric nursing, you really only need RN licensure (so, a nursing degree). Nursing degrees include classroom and clinical preparation in psychiatric nursing. You don't need any additional formal education in psychology (certainly not a psychology degree), although there's nothing stopping you from doing that if you want to. Undergraduate education in psychology has almost nothing to do with psychiatric nursing practice, however.

2. There is optional, voluntary national certification in psychiatric nursing available, but it is not required. That is something that you get after you're already working in psychiatric nursing, not to get into it, because the qualifications for the certification exam require that you have completed some specified number of hours (I don't recall the number offhand) in psychiatric nursing practice (the point of the certification is to document that you are experienced and knowledgeable in your specialty).

3. Because of the very strict confidentiality requirements in psychiatric settings and, to a lesser extent, safety concerns, I've never encountered a psychiatric setting that uses volunteers. However, there are a variety of full-time and part-time jobs available in psych facilities/settings that don't require any particular licensure or education -- psych techs, activities staff, unit clerks, etc. The employer would provide whatever training was needed. Lots of the techs at the psych hospital where I work are nursing students.

I'll just add that many of us have had the experience of starting nursing school sure that we wanted to specialize in some particular area but, by the time we finished school and had rotated through all the different clinical areas in school, had changed our minds entirely about where our strongest interests lay. I would encourage you to enter nursing school with an open mind, and wait to see area(s) most interest you after you've experienced the range of clinical/specialty areas.

Best wishes for your journey!

ItsTheDude · Aug 31, 2009

psych is one of the easier areas of nursing to find a job, it's generally not a desireable nursing career for must due to the type of patients u deal with (verbal threats, physical violence...).

as the other poster stated u just simply need to be a rn, depending on ur state u can become a rn thru a diploma (1 yr), associates (2 yr, adn, most rn's have this) or bachelors degree programs (4 yr, bsn), then pass the licensing exam. if u already have a bachelors n another field, there r accelerated programs too (1-2 yr, bsn).

there are opportunities to move up as an rn (management, nursing/med related), many of those r only for those with a bsn.

elkpark · Aug 31, 2009

... depending on ur state u can become a rn thru a diploma (1 yr), ...

I've never heard of a one-year diploma program -- most of them are three years (my diploma program was three years including the summers -- a full 33 months of full-time study). Some are two years. The only one-year nursing (RN) programs I've ever heard of are the accelerated BSN programs, and most of those, even, are longer than 12 months.

What state has one-year RN programs?

ItsTheDude · Aug 31, 2009

north carolina

winston-salem has a 1 yr acclerated bsn, they go year rnd (3 semesters). many posts about this program n the nc forum here.

watts (affiliated w duke) and mercy (charlotte area) offer 4 semester length diplomas, that's 1 yr and 1 semester going yr rnd to be exact. many posts about these programs also n the forums here.

i didn't attend any of the above schools, so i have no first hand knowledge, just what i hear from those that did attend them.

u can go to ncbon.com website to verify or the particular website for each program.

then there's all the typcial adn and bsn programs n the state too.

like i said, depends on ur state, that's who controls who can be a nurse, not the feds or any national entity.

DoveBunni · Aug 31, 2009

Thank you 'elkpark' and 'itsthedude'! My questions were answered very clearly.

By the way Elk, thanks for the advice on keeping an open mind. It's great advice that I will for sure remember in the future when I get accepted at state!

-DoveBunni

elkpark · Sep 1, 2009

north carolina
winston-salem has a 1 yr acclerated bsn, they go year rnd (3 semesters). many posts about this program n the nc forum here.
watts (affiliated w duke) and mercy (charlotte area) offer 4 semester length diplomas, that's 1 yr and 1 semester going yr rnd to be exact. many posts about these programs also n the forums here.
i didn't attend any of the above schools, so i have no first hand knowledge, just what i hear from those that did attend them.
u can go to ncbon.com website to verify or the particular website for each program.
then there's all the typcial adn and bsn programs n the state too.
like i said, depends on ur state, that's who controls who can be a nurse, not the feds or any national entity.

(I'm not trying to be argumentative, but I'm in NC and am well aware of both Watts and Mercy, so I was v. surprised to hear that they are "one year" programs. I checked both schools' websites, as you suggested. Watts' program is five semesters, including a semester of prerequisites. It looks like they operate on a standard academic year (students have the summer off in the middle), based on the academic calendar they have posted on the website, so that is 2 years plus (the extra semester of prereqs). The page about tuition and fees includes a chart showing the total costs for "the first year" and "the second year." Mercy's program is five semesters not including prerequisites, which would take at least an additional semester to complete. Their financial info page also includes a chart breaking down tuition and fees into "first year" and "second year." So, apparently, both schools believe that they are offering two year programs. Sorry for going off-topic somewhat.)

ItsTheDude · Sep 2, 2009

cool, i've always wondered when ppl told me they went to nursing school for "about a year", took me longer than that, had me feeling gypped.

so i guess the winston-salem accelerated program is one yr, u didn't mention it?

i've also seen on ncbon.com that mercy does have/had a 4 semester accelerated program, http://www.ncbon.com/content.aspx?id=474 , but it says 2006, maybe the program has changed. looks like they can go yr round at mercy, but not at watts.

island40 · Sep 2, 2009

no extra training required in IA- just an RN degree and a desire, when you interview they will have you demonstrate therapeutic communication to assess your skill level. Now PMHP that is a different story (psychiatric mental health practitioner- advance practice RN in mental health, master's degree required, hang out your own shingle in many states- have your own practice, get reimbursed from insurance independent of an MD...unless ObamaCare passes)

elkpark · Sep 3, 2009

cool, i've always wondered when ppl told me they went to nursing school for "about a year", took me longer than that, had me feeling gypped.
so i guess the winston-salem accelerated program is one yr, u didn't mention it?
i've also seen on ncbon.com that mercy does have/had a 4 semester accelerated program, http://www.ncbon.com/content.aspx?id=474 , but it says 2006, maybe the program has changed. looks like they can go yr round at mercy, but not at watts.

I was responding specifically to your initial comment about diploma programs taking one year. I mentioned in my original post that the only one-year nursing programs I'm aware of are some of the accelerated BSN programs (although even many of them are longer than 12 months), and I'm sure the WSSU website has specific info about their ABSN program.

You weren't gypped! :)