Psychiatric nurse practitioners play a major role in the mental healthcare system. Mental health can be corrected by medication and psychotherapy allowing the patient to establish a covalent bond with the practitioner, hence providing so much information needed.
A lot of time and patience is required for the administration of mental health treatment.
Here are few memorable experiences of some psychiatric nurse practitioners which can’t be forgotten by them.
Experiences of Psychiatric Nurse Practitioners
“When one of my patients was given back custody of her twin daughters who were taken away from her immediately after birth, we worked together to complete her program prescribed by the court.
We also worked to prepare her emotionally for the responsibilities that parenthood entails. She didn’t let me know when the court finally delivered the children to her.
On my last day at the mental health center where I worked as an NP, she brought her twin daughters with her on our final session.
It was enough to make me more proud of what I do, and a testimony of the kind of work that psychiatric nurses do that can make a difference in other peoples’ lives.” Marie Rose B. Bhuiyan, RN, BC, MS, NP-P
“Having a positive impact on a very psychotic man with schizophrenia, whose problematic behavior consisted of somersaulting whenever a “bad” thought would cross his mind.
He developed large ulcers on his shoulders, to the point where a skin graft was being considered. I and another nurse provided primary nursing care and used many creative interventions to gain his trust and heal his ulcers.
When he came to us from another facility he was somersaulting a hundred times a day. By the end of his hospitalization, he only did this behavior once or twice a day.
He gained weight, was healthier, and was less psychotic. He never required the skin grafts.
Some of the creative strategies consisted of learning to communicate with his preferred method of discussing the daily comic strips, providing nourishment where he would “find” it in the hallway since he told us he was a “street person”, re-dressing his wounds several times a day, and working on distractions to the somersaulting.
All in all, an amazing experience!!” Mary Blasi Karls, MSN,RN
IS BEING A PSYCHIATRIC NURSE PRACTITIONER WORTH IT?
For every profession, it is important to check if the profession is worth it before being considered to be a good one.
Being a psychiatric nurse practitioner is worth it, the huge monetary benefit is enough reason since it can take care of the basic needs and wants. It also gives one a sense of exposure to the happenings of life.
It gives room for freedom, most of the time you don’t work under supervision but likened to living a normal life.
Also, while working, it provides a sense of belonging to solving problems through analytical problem-solving skills. Therefore, building connections with the low classed and high-ranked individuals in society.
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ROLES OF A PSYCHIATRIC NURSE PRACTITIONER
Psychiatric nurse practitioners lay emphasis relating work on medical and psychiatric diagnosing. They carry out a variety of responsibilities based on their areas of specialty or factor on individual patients or where they work. Some of the responsibilities and illnesses include:
- Mental health assessments
- Psychotherapy
- Anxiety
- Panic attacks
- Bipolar disorder
- Depression
- Alcoholism
- Drug use
- Schizophrenia
- Trauma
- Postpartum depression
WHERE DO PSYCHIATRIC NURSE PRACTITIONERS WORK?
Psychiatric nurse practitioners are needed in almost every organization because of the rising effects of recent happenings in the globe. E-health and telemedicine have made work more flexible for the psychiatric nurse practitioner.
They work in more specialized places such as:
- Outpatient clinics
- Inpatient facilities
- Private mental health practices
- Hospitals
- Substance abuse programs
- Trauma centers
- Prisons
HOW TO BECOME A CERTIFIED PSYCHIATRIC NURSE PRACTITIONER
Every profession has a career path, it is important to know the educational and certification steps that guide you to becoming a certified and professional psychiatric nurse practitioner.
After following these steps, you are on your way to becoming one of the highest-paid psychiatric nurse practitioners.
#1 Earn a Bachelors in Nursing
The foremost step to becoming a psychiatric nurse practitioner is to earn a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, or BSN degree.
The program exposes potential psychiatric nurse practitioners to the knowledge of anatomy and physiology of the human body and nursing skills.
#2 Become a Registered Nurse RN
The next step in becoming a psychiatric nurse practitioner is to become a registered nurse (RN).
Having completed a bachelor’s degree in nursing or an associate degree in nursing, you are qualified to further in the career path.
It is important to scale through this stage to further familiarize themselves with more clinical practices.
#3 Gain Experience
After becoming a registered nurse, there is a need to gather years of work experience as a nurse. More importantly, work towards specializing in mental health.
#4 Obtain a Masters Degree in Nursing
Also, pursue a Master’s degree in nursing or Doctorate degree in nursing, when undergoing these levels of study it is paramount to specialize in mental health.
#5 Get Certification
After going through the rigor of obtaining degrees at a different level, the next thing to do is to get certified in the field.
Certification board exams in psychiatric nursing are written alongside other qualification requirements to make one a certified psychiatric nurse practitioner.
It is not enough to be certified but to be licensed, in order to gain a license of practice there are certain requirements that factor.
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HIGHEST PAYING STATES FOR PSYCHIATRIC NUSE PRACTITIONERS
Most states are ranked among the highest paying state for psychiatric nurse practitioners. There are lots of factors that determine the amount being paid to psychiatric nurse practitioners in each state.
The top-paying states for psychiatric nurse practitioners include:
1. California:
California is ranked top among the highest paying states for psychiatric nurse practitioners.
The average hourly wage of a psychiatric nurse practitioner is $64.80, and the annual mean wage is $133,780. The state income tax is 1% – 13.3% while the cost of living is 151.7%.
In California, the number of employed nurse practitioners is 13,420.
2. Alaska:
Alaska is ranked second among the highest paying states for psychiatric nurse practitioners.
The average hourly wage of a psychiatric nurse practitioner is $59.08. The annual mean wage is $122,880.
There are no state income taxes being charged, the cost of living is 129.9%. The number of employed nurse practitioners is 440.
3. Massachusetts:
Massachusetts is third among the highest paying states for psychiatric nurse practitioners.
The average hourly wage of a psychiatric nurse practitioner is $59.01. The annual mean wage is $122,740.
State income tax is a flat rate of 5.05% while the cost of living is 131.6%.
4. New Jersey:
New Jersey is the fourth state among the highest paying states for psychiatric nurse practitioners.
The average hourly wage of a psychiatric nurse practitioner is $58.70. The annual mean wage is $122,100.
State income tax is 1.4% – 10.75% while the cost of living is 125.1%.
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5. New York:
New York is the fifth state among the highest paying states for psychiatric nurse practitioners.
The average hourly wage of a psychiatric nurse practitioner is $58.16. The annual mean wage is $120,970.
State income tax is 1.4% – 10.75% while the cost of living is 139.1%.
6. Hawaii:
Hawaii is the sixth state among the highest paying states for psychiatric nurse practitioners.
The average hourly wage of a psychiatric nurse practitioner is $57.96. The annual mean wage is $120,570.
State income tax is 1.4% to 11% while the cost of living is 192.9%.
7. Minnesota:
Minnesota is seventh among the highest paying states for psychiatric nurse practitioners.
The average hourly wage of a psychiatric nurse practitioner is $57.29. The annual mean wage is $119,160.
State income tax is 5.35% to 9.85% while the cost of living is 101.6%.
8. Connecticut:
Connecticut is the eighth state among the highest paying states for psychiatric nurse practitioners.
The average hourly wage of a psychiatric nurse practitioner is $56.74. The annual mean wage is $118,020.
State income tax is 3% to 6.99% while the cost of living is 127.7%.
9. Washington:
Washington is ranked the ninth state among the highest paying states for psychiatric nurse practitioners.
The average hourly wage of a psychiatric nurse practitioner is $56.56. The annual mean wage is $117,650.
There are no state income taxes being charged, the cost of living is 110.7%.
10. Wyoming:
Wyoming is the tenth state among the highest paying states for psychiatric nurse practitioners.
The average hourly wage of a psychiatric nurse practitioner is $55.78. The annual mean wage is $116,030.
There are no state income taxes being charged, the cost of living is 89.3%.
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CONCLUSION
In conclusion, it is ideal to become a medical practitioner.
The single provider model has more advantages in the provision of mental healthcare.
As a PMNP, the single provider model is preferable because it favors both the patient and the practitioner. Though the model might be compromised in a few instances, overall, it is the best.
The patient is able to form a tight bond with the practitioner hence facilitating the process of information sharing. This makes diagnosis and follow-up on the patient very easy for the practitioner.
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