How hard is psych NP school

They are involved in the diagnosis and treatment of behavioral and mental conditions. Some psychiatric mental health nurse practitioners specialize in certain patient populations as well (e.g, pediatrics, military, veterans).

One of the most difficult steps to becoming a psych NP is getting accepted into an accredited program. The average acceptance rate for NP schools in 2019 was 68.2%, with the top 10 schools having an acceptance rate of around 19.3%. Most universities have different requirements, but overall, want to see the performance in prior classes.

In addition to the challenge of getting accepted, many students find it difficult to meet the clinical hours. In 2016, the Criteria for Evaluation of Nurse Practitioner Programs reported that NP students must complete 500 hours of supervised direct patient care clinical hours.

Psych students have reported that obtaining a preceptor for these hours can be quite difficult as compared to an NP specializing in primary care or pediatrics. It is important to start early in the semester by getting these hours in. Hopefully, you are lucky enough to find a preceptor whose schedule is accommodating.

In oTo all of your hours in, you will likely have to work nights, weekends, and holidays, and be willing to work in rotating locations (e.g., travel to hospitals and clinics where preceptors have hours available). Relying only on local clinics and hospitals can make it quite difficult to get the hours you need.

Clinical placements for nurse practitioners can also be difficult. Not all programs will assign you a clinical placement and you may be stuck finding it yourself. This again is more difficult for NPs with a psych specialization as opposed to family care as there are fewer openings available.

Once again, it is important to start making connections early and finding people who are already working in that field. You can go to potential clinical sites and ask if they are willing to take on an NP student. Keep in mind, once the clinical site and your school agree to an arrangement, a contract will be required before you can start.