VA PMHNP

Jules A, MSN · Apr 20, 2015

I was a RN at VA and was offered a NP position several years ago but their maximum wage for NPs at that time was $129,000! They offered me mid 80s. It was disappointing but my first NP job was $150,000 and while I know how great the VA benefits are and that there is plenty of paid time off $65,000 a year is a bucket of money.

Has the pay scale for VA NPs improved at all?

PG2018 · May 1, 2015

I just finished a year long internship with the VA outpatient mental health clinic. I had a wonderful preceptor, and all of the MDs, APRNs, and PA-Cs I worked with were wonderful people. I became very interested in working with them, but money and some degree of higher autonomy are the absolute reason I'm going somewhere else. If the money were closer to the same I'd go to the VA in a heart beat. I was given a salary range of 63-110, but a board of similarly trained APRNs rate you. You're still "in with nurses" with respect to a lot of regulations and personnel requirements. I understand PAs make somewhat more money than NPs. I'm going to a private site with a 150k base plus productivity so even with "all the great benefits" they're not going to touch what I'll be making unfortunately.

In the mental health clinic (MHC) most providers began seeing patients at 0830 all the way through 1630 with 30 minute lunches. Like all psych settings, there is a wait to be seen. There are of course outpatient programs, SA programs, intensive case management programs, an inpatient unit, consult-liaison roles, and interestingly primary care mental health which seems like the optimal job and the one most offered to me while I was training there. I really enjoyed having ready access to psychological testing, CT/MRI, EKG, lab, and pharm consult. I won't have any of that where I'm going. The veterans also seem much higher functioning, and most of the ones in my experience genuinely wanted help.

I think you'll enjoy it.

akcompton1 · Dec 19, 2015

I'm a psych RN at a Midwest VA. I'm keeping close tabs on NP pay scales here as I hope to go back for PMHNP. Unfortunately the pay has not changed and is contingent on experience, degree type, etc. The VA pays well for RNs but apparently not as great for NPs, which is baffling considering that there is a system wide effort to recruit mental health providers currently underway. Also, the psychiatrists here make less than in private sector. The consensus amongst the docs is that they are willing to trade this for lots of vacation time, retirement, etc.