Mental Health Nurse Practitioner threads on SDN end up devolving into arguments about how MHNPs are so much less knowledgeable and less qualified to treat people with mental health issues. The NP programs I've had the opportunity to work with gear more towards a primary care level of practice - the sort of things a family doctor would do essentially. This is a place to come for those suffering and those that have schizoaffective individuals in their lives. See my post below. In one model, the nurse practitioner is primarily responsible for doing initial assessments with patients and then the follow-up is divided between the psychiatrist and the nurse practitioner. Some NP's can be a real blessing. Sometimes nurse practitioners do initial interviews and med checks when folks are stable, and the doctors step in as needed when people are struggling or have especially complex needs. Most of the Psychiatrist vs. Nurse practitioners are not doctors. Psychiatric nurse practitioners are vital to the medical establishment as additional experts to help with mental health. aspects can be tangibly important and sometimes crucial (i.e. I am not a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner, but I have researched it on here and on the internet. Among the differences are education, professional … Is a Psychiatrist Nurse Practitioner as qualified to asses and diagnosis me as a Psychiatrist ? Psychiatric nurse practitioners take on a wide variety of responsibilities in the healthcare field. If using that word bothers you, that is up to you, however, your argument seems rather childish. Let's be there to support and encourage each other as we each go through our journies through this illness. I have seen NPs (or more often specialized RNs) working as vital players on the above-mentioned teams. Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner Psychiatrist; Education: Psychiatric nurse practitioners typically earn a bachelor of science in nursing (BSN), which takes four years. They don't really exist here. They just have different training. Nurses Nursing. And unlike any of your above mentioned disciplines, I evaluate, diagnose, provide both therapy and medications to my patients. Psychiatrists are medical doctors aka physicians who go to 4 years of medical school followed by 4 years of intense psychiatry training - that’s 8 years after college amassing 20,000 clinical hours. All I can think is that I’d probably trust his recommendation on a successor but that’s just me. A psychiatric nurse practitioner and a social worker are different in many ways, especially if the social worker is a direct-service social worker as opposed to a clinical one. She is very wise and understand and knows exactly what my treatments should be, and listens to me as well and takes everything into consideration. In private practice or specialty clinics an MD can take as long as they need generally too. This is a place where mental health professionals and students in a therapy program can share and discuss topics related to psychotherapy. We are not a subreddit to ask psychiatrists questions either about individual situations about psychiatry generally. So do they approach mental health differently? There is definitely no difference in holistic vs. non-holistic on a program level and most observed differences are probably based on service requirements and / or funding. The advantage of this to a clinical care system is that it is more cost-effective for … I own a psychiatric private practice. I mean I know they claim to follow the nursing model of education which is more holistic, but it seems they are really practicing medicine. It seems psychiatric nurse practitioners as they gain more independence are functioning exactly the same as psychiatrists. It seems psychiatric nurse practitioners as they gain more independence are functioning exactly the same as psychiatrists. I don’t mind a nurse practitioner for run of the mill physical illness/injury. Second is how they're trained. My completely-biased opinion is that the extra training in the other medical specialties including working as an MD on those units gives me a unique opportunity to approach a person's mental health from a level that incorporates all of the prevention and primary care stuff emphasized in med school (genetics, development, nutrition, SES, etc.) I have applied to two schools this fall for PMHNP. I have also been the primary ER psychiatric provider, the provider on a forensic unit and the psych provider specifically for a neuro intensive care unit. Obviously the better staffed a place is the more resources they can allocate to a patient. With the psychiatrist of course the scope is different but as a provider, the job roles and responsibilties share many similarities. Just to add to your overview as a counterpoint - As a psych NP, I have worked as a consult liaison in a Level I trauma center and a Level II hospital . Those questions should be directed to r/AskPsychiatry. The center made me an appointment with a nurse practitioner. Nurse practitioners are nurses with a 2 years masters degree that can be done online and part time with a total of 500 clinical hours. Psychiatric mental health nurse practitioners are advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs). I see a nurse practitioner and honestly it’s no different than a psychiatrist! Im not sure if I'm over thinking it but should I get a 2nd opinion ?