Question for Psych-Mental Health NPs

[aurora155]

When you were a Psych-NP student, what kind of psych placements did you have for your clinicals? Did you do clinicals in hospitals, community mental health clinics, nursing homes, or other places? What were they like? Did you see patients individually? Did you have longer term placements than might be typical in other specialties, to allow for continuity with patients and building therapeutic relationships? How long were the placements in psych?

Thanks.

[lucianne]

I did community mental health and private practice for my clinicals. Other students have been in hospitals, nursing homes, correctional facilities, residential treatment, the VA... cant think of any other type of placement. The placements at my school are usually for a whole semester and a few people do the same agency in different areas for a year. I don't think that is the best for getting experience, but that's just my opinion. Whether or not you see patients individually depends on the site. Some places can't bill for services unless an employee is present. I think you really need that experience of managing patients on your own to get comfortable and feel confident in what you are doing before you really are on your own. I tend to phase my preceptees in to working on their own depending on their experience and what I observe.

[aurora155]

Thanks, Lucianne. You sound like a wonderful preceptor. Is there typically a choice in placement to align with one's interests (e.g. community mental health vs. residential treatment)?

Anyone else?

[zenman]

I start my clinicals next week. I'll be doing inpatient, psych ER, ward consultation, outpatient, and substance abuse rehabilitation, both with a psychiatrist and PMHNP. How's that for a well rounded placement?

[nursejill155]

Are you able to do private counseling as a mental health NP? Like I psychiatrist would do?

[Smitty08]

Sure you can do "private counselling' - I think you mean psychotherapy. I don't do too much of that now but it is well within the scope of practice. Yup, just like the psychiatrists and they probably don't do too much of that either! Mostly the need is for medication management, assessment/diagnosis, at least in my area.

[jkpowell23]

I am seriously considering switching my course of studies from FNP to Psych NP. I've got 5 years of nursing experience, none of it in psych. Does this put me at an extreme disadvantage?

Also, how is the job market for PsyNP's? I don't know any myself, and am scared that I will be investing big $$$ and be unable to find employment.

This is the first time I've been really excited about something since starting school for my NP degree. I will be beginning clinicals this fall, so I need to make a decision.

Thanks so much for your insight!!

[aurora155]

JKP, I'm just beginning my Psych NP training, and very few in my program have psych training--it's a direct entry program, so they expect you to enter from other fields. I hope there will be jobs when I graduate. I went to an orientation for the new students and when I told a professor I was Psych track, she said, "that's a good, marketable specialty," so I hope that bodes well. I told my family doc what I would be studying and she told me to hurry up, as she never as enough Psych NPs to refer patients to.

[unplannedRN]

I would like very much to know about a direct-entry program such as this. It is for people with Master's or doctorate in something other than nursing? Like, psychologist, or...?

Please someone tell me more. I have a higher degree in psych than I do nursing, and am just about to enter a PMHNP program the usual way--went back for a BSN to get ready.