Shame on you ANCC : Psych CNS: Don't precept Psych NP's

Published

ANCC is not recognizing our 500+ clinical hours as a Psych CNS's stating that maybe we did not preform "clinical" work for those hours and instead did some other type of managerial or organizational work, therefore they will not allow us to sit for the Psych NP exams despite meeting all the requirements. Even if you had a dual program and decided to sit for the CNS vs the NP exam (because it was the thing to do at the time) and even if you had hours in more than one modality as required, ANCC will give you a hard time saying that your hours don't count. It makes no sense and this is an unfair practice by the ANCC. If we as CNS's aren't able to take the same exam as the students we are supposedly fit to precept then we shouldn't precept them at all. Don't Precept Psych NP's until the ANCC makes changes to their policies. If their practice is so different then ours then nursing programs can go find all the experienced psych NP's out there to precept instead (aka NP's with less than 3 years experience).

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I don't know about your experience, but my psych CNS program really was entirely different from an NP program.

And I gave up on the ANCC a long time ago. If my job didn't require that I maintain my psych CNS certification, I'd never give them a second thought or another penny.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Yes, but if you did a dual program you are qualified to sit for an NP exam through ANCC. But for some reason it's the clinical hours they are saying are somehow different. If you saw patients providing psychotherapeutic services for all of your hours then you meet or exceed that requirement. I don't know any Psych CNS's who did more systems organization, teaching to hospital staff, or non-patient interaction work. I became a Psych CNS about 11 years ago. I did a dual program at Boston College (who by the way are also not helpful in this regard). Friend's of mine's schools are going to bat with them against the ANCC insisting that their hours were the same as NP hours. I could have sat for either exam at the time (NP or CNS). But somehow now my hours aren't NP hours. It's just plain BS if you ask me.

2
Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

I'll step on the bandwagon here - the entire CNS role is a crock anymore.

And...ANCC is right in the middle of the nonsense!

1
Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Nursing Professional Development.

I agree that the CNS role is a mess right now -- and it's not all the ANCC's fault. It all started years ago when some CNS's and NP's wanted to combine the roles rather than keep them distinct. They should have remained totally separate so that both would flourish and be respected. But that's not what happened ... and the CNS portion of the role got buried and murky.

I don't think it is worth saving anymore.

But back in the old days, it was a great role and I enjoyed it very much.

1
Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Outpatient Psychiatry.

Their tests don't indicate clinical competency. Mine for NP more mirrored the present idealization of a CNS role, e.g. organizational consulting and staff discrepancies. They've got to draw the line somewhere. You may have had 500 hours (which isn't enough for any of us) in direct patient treatment, but the trend is for CNS folks to do other things. Exactly what those other things are isn't well agreed upon. The lack of consensus plagues nursing.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

@llg - I've been a CNS for 10 years and its always been a mess - just gets messier by the year

@psychguy - I did two CNS programs (how dumb am I?) and have over 1200 hours of clinical alongside NPs. My adult health CNS test (taken in 2006 was more CNS based (the stupid three spheres nonsense - like who does anything like that anymore)? However, the peds CNS test that I took in 2010 was much more clinically based.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Hmm. I was precepted by a Psych CNS and it was one of my favorite precepting experiences.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

In the last decade I was attempting to get my CNS and this conflict about the role of CNS and how it was going to be recognized by all entities came to the surface. This caused me to change to an Geriatric NP program because I didn't want to work for a degree that wasn't going to be recognized. The NP program turned out to be not properly supported by the university as far as accreditation and having the properly certified people in charge of the program. I found out that I was the only person in their Geriatric NP program which was to say the least shocking and when I asked who was in charge of the program because someone who asked me about it. They said, No one. After this they manufactured some reasons to throw me out of the program. I never got my degree after being 3/4ths of the way done.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

Oh my goodness prunejuice (btw love your username). How awful....have you gone on to a different program?

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Outpatient Psychiatry.
In the last decade I was attempting to get my CNS and this conflict about the role of CNS and how it was going to be recognized by all entities came to the surface. This caused me to change to an Geriatric NP program because I didn't want to work for a degree that wasn't going to be recognized. The NP program turned out to be not properly supported by the university as far as accreditation and having the properly certified people in charge of the program. I found out that I was the only person in their Geriatric NP program which was to say the least shocking and when I asked who was in charge of the program because someone who asked me about it. They said, No one. After this they manufactured some reasons to throw me out of the program. I never got my degree after being 3/4ths of the way done.

In 2005, I was 2-3 weeks into a MA program when the Chancellor walked in, spoke very direct, but told us the program was new and not accredited. He told everyone refunds would be made, other expenses would be reimbursed, and said staff would be "adjusted" appropriately. Full tuition was waived for any other masters program on campus provided the student met admission requirements. I jumped ship and later realized the economic fallacy of liberal arts. So had a crappy time myself once.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I still don't understand what cns is to this day. I think I've seen one since being in and out of hospitals working in different places since 2009

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion