Volunteer Experience Before Direct Entry PMHNP

[likeaplanet]

Hello, I've been considering applying to a few direct entry PMHNP programs next fall. I graduated with my BS in Psychology a few years ago and had originally planned on applying for Health Psychology PhD programs. I did well in school and on the GREs and think I would have been a competitive applicant but never quite felt passionate enough to go for it. After college I worked in a group home for adults with developmental disabilities for about three years where we would do med passes, charting, and take behavioral notes, as well as just trying to provide the best quality life for everyone who lived there. Besides that the bulk of my experience has been as a research assistant for various psych PIs, in cognitive and clinical psychology labs. I would love to get more experience that could help me decide if the PMHNP route is really the path for me but I've had trouble finding volunteer opportunities or entry level jobs that are related or would give me exposure to working around NPs. Does anyone any have advice on how to get this experience? How did everyone learn about the profession besides scouring SDN and the allnurses forums?

Also, if anyone has been through a direct entry NP program, what was the range of experience that you or your classmates had before coming into the program?

Looking forward to hearing any advice!

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[pamac]

Clinical psychology is a bit different from what most PMHNPs find themselves doing. Medication management is what brings in most revenue, and therefore where most employers want out of their NPs. From there, PMHNPs direct treatment plans that can include therapy sessions with other types of providers, as well as other interventions. But the med management advantages are why you see clinical psychologists attempting to get prescriptive authority. It makes a provider extremely valuable vs billing for things things like cognitive behavioral therapy. So if you see yourself doing 15-20 minute med management appointments, and doing initial assessments for new patients, then PHMNP will be a good fit, because that’s what you tend to do most of the time. There are exceptions for folks working in treatment teams where you have some interdisciplinary collaboration and meet ups with patients, but the need for prescribers really drives PHMNPS to manage meds, and leaves the other stuff for social workers, therapists, and clinical psychologists to talk things out with patients.

I took the traditional route through nursing to get to NP school, so I had a good sense of what NPs do. If I was considering a direct entry program and wanted some exposure to what PMHNPs do, I’d do my best to ask around and see if I could shadow one. It might not be very easy these days to get to shadow without connections, but just start asking around with family and friends. Look up PMHNPs online, and email them asking them if you can at least meet up. That might get you a different response than asking to shadow. You could ask to shadow when you meet up. But just talking to an NP might be really helpful to you in deciding what you want to do. I’ve met up with folks that were interested in picking my brain as far as how to go about applying to Np school, and I don’t see that changing once I become an NP. Folks usually don’t mind helping out people that have questions about their field. Time constraints are usually the biggest barriers. As far as shadowing, psyche can be a pretty sensitive field to do that in if you aren’t a formal student doing rotations. It comes down to privacy issues and client comfort.

 

[likeaplanet]

Thanks for the response, pamac. I'll try to talk to more PMHNPs in my area. If anyone else has other suggestions for jobs or experiences that might be helpful before applying to a direct entry program, let me know. I've seen a lot of psych tech job postings but they all seem to require a special license.

 

[priorities2]

I'm a psych NP and I can do therapy and med management even at the FQHC where I work, as a condition for staying there I insisted on having a few clients for combined therapy and med management. We are in high demand. It's a great path with so many options. I've only been working three months and already sort of thinking about going back for a PhD as I'm really passionate about addiction psychiatry and may want to do research. It's nice to know I'll always have the psych NP piece to fall back on, it's very profitable and I can do contract work or open a private practice at any time.

I'd say, if you can't find NPs in your area to shadow, see if there are psychiatrists. Or attend a psychiatry conference. The works is similar and will give you a good idea.