As the nursing equivalents of psychiatrists, Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioners offer specialised care to patients with mental health illnesses in a noble and selfless attempt to help them to heal themselves. Continue Reading
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Explore Career As the nursing equivalents of psychiatrists, Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioners offer specialised care to patients with mental health illnesses in a noble and selfless attempt to help them to heal themselves.
What are the typical responsibilities of a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner?
Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioners would typically need to:
Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioners work in inpatient and outpatient programs in all healthcare areas related to treating mental health disorders. Collaboration with a wide range of healthcare professionals, patients, and visitors is standard. Travel may be required to treat patients at home and attend conferences and seminars.
Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioners typically work full-time, with 40-hour weeks and varying shifts, depending on their place of employment. Although hospital settings may require you to be on-call and take on overnight shifts, you can have several days off. Private practice may mean working from Monday to Friday during office hours.
Research suggests that flexible hours and generous telework policies appeal more than salary to the younger generation. There has been an incremental increase in employers willing to give promising employees a chance to adjust their schedules per the job demands.
Finding a new job might seem challenging. Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioners can boost their job search by asking their network for referrals, contacting companies directly, using job search platforms, going to job fairs, leveraging social media, and inquiring at staffing agencies. PMHNPs may choose to practice solo or be part of a group practice. They may opt to be employed by healthcare facilities or work with them on an independent contractor basis. They may also choose temporary locum tenens positions offered by practices, hospitals, or healthcare organisations with an unfilled clinical need.
Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioners are generally employed by:
Healthcare associations, such as the International Society Of Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurses (ISPN), provide unparalleled networking and educational opportunities. They offer all the certification courses members will need throughout their professional careers.
Affiliated Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioners may attend conventions, seminars, and dinners frequented by peers, mentors, and other industry leaders. The events help them keep up with the latest breakthroughs and developments, including plum jobs.
One of the best introductions to a career in mental health is to volunteer at a local hospital, clinic, or nursing home. Work experience demonstrates your interest and dedication to the profession. It allows you to understand what it is like to work around other healthcare professionals and patients. In addition, working with a diverse range of clients helps you understand different behaviours, situations, and problems you may encounter during your practice as a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner.
ADN and BSN programmes include clinical experience through supervised clinical rotations in general medical-surgical units, psychiatric hospitals, and mental health clinics. Participants gain a foundation in nursing care and patient assessment and benefit from tasks outside the classroom that align perfectly with lessons inside it.
Besides, one may hear countless stories and obtain valuable hands-on experience from more experienced PMHNPs who can turn seemingly routine incidents into unique learning moments.
Although residency programs for nurse practitioners are no longer mandatory, they can increase the prospective PMHNP’s knowledge and abilities to provide patient care under the supervision of a qualified physician or nurse. In addition, they can learn more about a sub-speciality of practice and decide whether they want to pursue a career in it.
Applicants to MSN and DPN programs require a minimum of two years of RN experience in a psychiatric hospital, mental health clinic, community mental health centre, or addiction treatment facility. They must prove their specialised skills in assessing, diagnosing, and treating mental health disorders.
MSN and DPN programs also require students to complete a specific number of clinical hours under the guidance of trained PMHNPs or psychiatrists. The clinical rotations provide hands-on experience in diagnosing and treating mental health conditions across the lifespan.
The experiences may also help determine whether the public, private or voluntary sector is best suited to realise your ambitions. Your educational provider’s career service department can provide information about viable work placements, internships and voluntary work opportunities in related sectors.
Even while in high school, you can check with a teacher or counsellor about relevant work-based learning opportunities available in your school or community that can help you connect your school experiences with real-life work. Join clubs related to science or healthcare.
Try to shadow or interview a nurse or healthcare professional to understand their work and make informed decisions about your career path. Demonstrating a genuine passion for the profession during high school will strengthen your college applications and prove your commitment to course providers and prospective employers.
Becoming a qualified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) takes time and dedication.
Interested individuals begin their academic journey with a two-year ADN (Associate Degree in Nursing) or a four-year BSN (Bachelor of Science in Nursing) program. You can choose between adult, paediatric, learning disability or mental health nursing, but if you are sure about becoming a PMHNP, mental health nursing is your best bet.
Although it seems like a faster and easier route to becoming a Registered Nurse (RN), ADN-prepared nurses have limited career advancement opportunities compared to BSN-prepared nurses. No wonder, then, that most ADN-prepared nurses enrol in the more economical RN-to-BSN bridge programme that allows them to continue working while actively pursuing their studies instead of returning to school for more traditional degrees.
The next step involves obtaining an accredited Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) or Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree in advanced practice mental health nursing. You will also need to take courses in advanced health assessment, pharmacology, and pathophysiology.
Aspirants with a foundational counselling degree or BSN degree in adult nursing can enrol in the accelerated BSN programme for mental health nursing. Thanks to an innovative direct-entry nursing programme, learners with a bachelor’s degree in a non-nursing field can also become a PMHNP. The accelerated MSN allows students to earn their BSN and MSN degrees after four years of study focused solely on nursing requirements.
Qualified PMHNPs who wish to work in a foreign country may need to complete an online self-assessment of their eligibility to apply before beginning the application process. If you must pass a language proficiency test, online education providers can help you prepare, apply, and register for the examination.
Appropriate college preparatory courses to be taken in high school include biology, chemistry, algebra, trigonometry, statistics, physics, psychology, foreign languages, and physiology/anatomy. English and speech classes will help you develop your research, writing, and oral communication skills.
Remember that completing a particular academic course does not guarantee entry into the profession. Be that as it may, professional qualifications and transferable skills may open up more than one door.
Do your homework and look into all available options for education and employment before enrolling in a specific programme. Reliable sources that help you make an educated decision include associations and employers in your field.
Prospective Mental Health Nurse Practitioners who complete an ADN, BSN, or Diploma in Nursing programme from a recognised educational institution are eligible to take the NCLEX (National Council Licensure Examination) and demonstrate their hard-earned knowledge of healthcare management and patient care. Successful candidates can apply for an RN (Registered Nurse) licence with their local licensing board.
Although the NCLEX-RN is specific to the United States, it is internationally recognised as a valid, reliable, and standardised measure of nursing competence that guarantees quality patient care and safety. Typically, licensure requires an application, processing fees, an examination, and relevant education and experience.
Certification demonstrates a PHMNP’s competence in a skill set, typically through work experience, training, and passing an examination. Successful certification programs protect public welfare by incorporating a Code of Ethics. A national nursing practice certification from an accredited speciality nursing board can help you stand out in a competitive job market and carry a significant salary premium of up to 18 per cent.
Candidates undergo a competency-based examination to get a valid and reliable assessment of their clinical knowledge and skills to help patients across the lifespan.
Preparation for the rigorous exam includes in-depth knowledge of health promotion and maintenance, differential diagnosis, and management (clinical training and ability to prescribe medication in at least two areas of psychotherapy). Most PMHNPs report psychiatry, psychology, behavioural health, and addiction as their top clinical focus areas.
In addition to national certification, PMHNPs must obtain licensure as an APRN (Advanced Practice Registered Nurse) in the area they plan to practice. Requirements may vary across regions but usually include a master’s or doctoral degree, national certification, and submission of an application.
After acquiring the licensure, get role-specific registration to prove your expertise in mental health care to potential employers and patients. PMHMPs may also need to undergo an employment background check, including but not limited to a person’s work history, education, credit history, motor vehicle reports (MVRs), criminal record, medical history, use of social media, and drug screening.
Proven success, experience, and the acquisition of supplementary professional qualifications drive career progression. Deserving Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioners can advance to senior roles or executive-level positions, such as Registered Nurse Case Manager or Nursing Director.
Academics, research, training, and policy planning offer attractive career opportunities. Enterprising PMHNPs with an entrepreneurial and managerial mindset can open a nurse-managed clinic and extend their services to needy individuals.
The desire to accelerate career growth and personal development has an increasing number of millennials choosing to job hop and build a scattershot resume that showcases ambition, motivation, and the desire to learn a broad range of skills.
Studies prove that job hopping, earlier dismissed as “flaky” behaviour, can lead to greater job fulfilment. Employees searching for a positive culture and interesting work are willing to try out various roles and workplaces and learn valuable, transferable skills along the way.
Empathetic and dedicated Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioners showing a significant understanding of medicine and the healthcare field and dedication to continual professional development have the best job prospects.
Continuing professional development (CPD) is essential for public well-being and career progression in the healthcare sector. It embraces several new learning objectives, educational methodologies, and novel technological developments, especially in education, management, and IT.
Reflective enquiry, interaction with peer groups, workshops, and professional publications educate, influence, support, and foster lifelong learning in all career-grade Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioners. You must diligently practice integrated care to provide better care to underserved populations.
Progressive PMHNPs attend in-service and professional training programmes to learn about the latest medicines and treatments to participate in continuous quality improvement initiatives to help their patients. You can pursue a 12-month-long postgraduate training program divided into three-month-long clinical rotation assignments.
In addition to offering the opportunity to continually upskill, regardless of one’s age, job, or level of knowledge, CPD also enables the periodic renewal of desirable certifications, which increase your chances of advancement and becoming an independent consultant.
Something Else You Need To Know
Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioners may treat patients suffering from anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, substance abuse, PTSD, obsessive-compulsive disorder, eating disorders, and personality disorders.
They may specialise in treating a specific population, such as children, adolescents, adults, senior citizens, prisoners, and the LGBTQ community. They help individuals facing serious mental illnesses, substance abuse disorders, homelessness, domestic abuse, and trauma fix themselves so they can lead relatively normal lives.
Current Scenario
The employment outlook of a particular profession may be impacted by diverse factors, such as the time of year, location, employment turnover, occupational growth, size of the occupation, and industry-specific trends and events that affect overall employment.
A sizeable portion of the global population has a form of mental illness. Every year, they may experience a mental illness symptom so severe that it affects their daily lives. The unmistakable need for mental health awareness, diagnosis, and care drives the significantly high demand for PMHNPs. Changing policies and laws enable qualified PMHNPs to provide preventive and primary care in team-based models of care, especially in medically underserved areas, such as inner cities and rural areas.
An ageing global population, expanded insurance coverage for mental health care, increased awareness of the importance of mental health, and additional mental health care needs associated with wars also underline the need for competent PMHNPs.
Potential Pros & Cons of Freelancing vs. Full-Time Employment
Freelancing Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioners have more flexible work schedules and locations. They fully own the business and can select their projects and clients. However, they experience inconsistent work and cash flow, which means more responsibility, effort and risk.
On the other hand, full-time Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioners have company-sponsored health benefits, insurance, and retirement plans. They have job security with a fixed, reliable source of income and guidance from their bosses. Yet, they may experience boredom due to a lack of flexibility, ownership, and variety.
When deciding between freelancing or being a full-time employee, consider the pros and cons to see what works best for you.
PMHNPs find it very rewarding when they can help a patient recognise and manage the symptoms of their mental disorder and see improvement in the patient’s general wellbeing.
“Though it may be a constant battle, let us not forget the strength and resilience it takes to face our fears and overcome the obstacles that OCD presents. Every step forward, no matter how small, is a triumph worth celebrating.”
Dr. Rameez Shaikh
1 in 8 people worldwide (approximately 979 million) suffer from depression and anxiety. 14.3% of the global population (around 8 million) lose their lives to a mental health disorder.
What do Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioners do?
Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioners would typically need to:
Accredited
$81,040
