Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner 

How did you get your current job?
Newspaper.

What was the application process?
I submitted a resume.

Did you have to interview for your current job? If yes, what did the interview process entail?
I had a group interview with several clinic managers & then finally interviewed with the psychiatrist who is now my supervising physician.

If you can remember, what questions were you asked during the interview?
What type of patients did I work with during my preceptorship. Which patients did I feel most comfortable with, which ones did I find most challenging. The psychiatrist asked me specific medication questions, i.e. what type of meds would I use for certain presenting problems.

Do you feel your employer properly prepared you for your job? Explain.
Not really, I was going in to a position that another NP left a month previously & was given little training. I had to pick it up as I went.

Was there training for your current position? If yes, what did it entail?
In order to be a nurse practitioner, you must have an M.S.N. & nearly every state requires you to be board certified as well. That entails taking a $200 – $300 exam.

Do you feel your educational background prepared you for your job? Explain.
For the most part, however my education was heavy on the therapy side of my job & less on the medication aspect.

If applicable, do you feel your internship experience helped you prepare for your job?
Not really, the NP I worked with during my preceptorship was busy trying to maintain her private practice & I don’t feel I learned as much from her as others did from their preceptors.

If someone wanted to go about getting a job similar to yours, what would you recommend for him or her to do?
Find a *good* advanced practice nursing (M.S.N.) program, I chose Vanderbilt University School of Nursing. One would need to choose a specialty as well, psychiatric NP is only offered at a handful of universities.

What skills do you think a person should have if they want to pursue a position like yours?
Being able to roll with the changes, you never know who is going to come through your office door & working with the mentally ill can be a challenge. You need to be compassionate as well because sometimes the ones that need your help the most can be the most difficult to deal with. Orginizational skills are a must because medical records and charts cannot be neglected.

Do you feel that you need a certain level of education or training to be successful in your job?
You have to have a MSN to be an advanced practice nurse or nurse practitioner as it is more commonly called.

What advice would you give to someone who was about to start work in your position/ line of work?
School only gave you the background to find your job, you will learn more on the job than you did in school.