AppliedBehaviorAddiction
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- Joined
- Jun 9, 2019
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Hello, I am new here- so I will give some background. I recently graduated with my bachelors in Communication Sciences and Disorders. I was sure throughout my undergrad experience that I wanted to be a medical SLP. I loved learning neurology, anatomy, dysphagia/TBI/stroke, etc. Then, in my last semester my mother unfortunately passed away and due to that experience- I have developed a big interest in going into psychiatric medicine. This has led me to strongly consider becoming a PMHNP. I have poured over tons of forums and posts about it and it is a profession that greatly interests me. I would have to take my pre-reqs for that and I want to apply for DE programs after that. After my research, I have one concern, and it is going to sound really stupid: hours.
Don't get me wrong, I have no problem really draining myself to get my degree. I am a very hard worker and have the capacity to pull off such a program in under 5 years. There seems to be a battle going on between people saying that you must have RN experience to be an NP and those who do not believe that. I understand both sides of the argument and I don't want another thread on it. However, if I were to get some RN experience after my program, I would be 28-29 years old. I don't fear blood, needles, patient's problems (I currently work with kids with autism and am looking into working as a mental health tech under RN supervision at a hospital right now), any of that. But at that age, doing 12 hour shifts, or overnights genuinely scares me. At that point, it would be reasonable to think that I would be about ready to start a family with my partner who I have been with for a very long time. If I could work days, there would be no problem- but I hear about these rotations where people are always on call and their schedule can never be predicted, and one week they are doing 12 hour shifts, the next week they are doing nights. I know as a new graduate, I could not be that picky and I am afraid of completing my degree and then being forced to take on those shifts. Again, I know it is hard work and I am more than willing to put that in- but would there be any hope of getting day shifts as a new graduate as either a PMHNP or an RN, while I just get experience and then move into being an NP? I guess I could just use some insight into what it is really like out there before I drop some serious money on a program.
Don't get me wrong, I have no problem really draining myself to get my degree. I am a very hard worker and have the capacity to pull off such a program in under 5 years. There seems to be a battle going on between people saying that you must have RN experience to be an NP and those who do not believe that. I understand both sides of the argument and I don't want another thread on it. However, if I were to get some RN experience after my program, I would be 28-29 years old. I don't fear blood, needles, patient's problems (I currently work with kids with autism and am looking into working as a mental health tech under RN supervision at a hospital right now), any of that. But at that age, doing 12 hour shifts, or overnights genuinely scares me. At that point, it would be reasonable to think that I would be about ready to start a family with my partner who I have been with for a very long time. If I could work days, there would be no problem- but I hear about these rotations where people are always on call and their schedule can never be predicted, and one week they are doing 12 hour shifts, the next week they are doing nights. I know as a new graduate, I could not be that picky and I am afraid of completing my degree and then being forced to take on those shifts. Again, I know it is hard work and I am more than willing to put that in- but would there be any hope of getting day shifts as a new graduate as either a PMHNP or an RN, while I just get experience and then move into being an NP? I guess I could just use some insight into what it is really like out there before I drop some serious money on a program.