Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner Salary: How Much Do They Make?
Being a psychiatric nurse practitioner is a job with many responsibilities and requirements, but it is also rewarding. In this article, we will take a look at what a psychiatric nurse practitioner (PNP) does and how to become one, as well as how much they get paid, where they work, and some other specifics about the job.
What Does a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner Do and How Do You Become One?
Becoming a psychiatric nurse practitioner has its own requirements. Normally, for any job, you need to gain knowledge and skills so that you can be able to put them into practice, and so it is the same for someone who wants to become a PNP. In the following paragraphs, we will explain what a PNP does and how you can become one.
A psychiatric nurse practitioner evaluates the mental conditions of an individual, a family, or a group. They make and implement plans to heal or improve the patient's condition and make sure to follow up on the progress of their treatment. They also diagnose, offer counseling or psychotherapy, prescribe medications, and more.
In order to be able to do all the above, one must pass through school levels, do training, and gain experience. As to academic education, you should have a Master of Science in Nursing (or a post-master certificate) and then apply for your national certification through the ANCC (American Nurses Credentialing Center). Other requirements to become a PNP are:
Having an active registered nurse license
Obtaining a graduate degree from a nursing program (must be accredited)
Carrying out a minimum of 500 supervised clinical hours
Doing clinical training for at least two psychotherapeutic modalities
Having a passing score on comprehensive examination
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These are the conditions that need to be fulfilled for one to be eligible for a job application for that position, but scoring good results is very beneficial as well. For example, the education grades help rank your name higher in the list of applicants. This also applies to the other requirements as the filtering process will try to choose the best candidates.
How Much Do Psychiatric Nurse Practitioners Make?
Medicine-related jobs are among the best-paying jobs in many countries, including the U.S. The average base salary for a psychiatric nurse practitioner is $146,446. Considering the level of education, training, and experience needed, the payment matches this profession, and according to the standards in the U.S., it makes for a good and comfortable living.
What are the best-paying states in the U.S.?
It is natural that when making decisions regarding your career, you consider your income. Whether you like it or not, your income provides or deprives you of many benefits. It stages your current life, your future belongings and surroundings, the education of your children, and much more. In the U.S., salaries vary depending on the job, of course, but also on the state that you live in. For that reason, we will provide you with a list of the best-paying states in the U.S.
Los Angeles, New York, and Boston lead the list of states that pay the most for a psychiatric nurse practitioner. In these states, one can reach the highest national salary when reaching 10-19 years of experience. We will now list the following 10 best-paying states in the U.S. for psychiatric nurse practitioners:
California - $149,070
Alaska - $147,150
Hawaii - $144,150
Massachusetts - $141,270
Connecticut - $139,340
New Jersey - $138,330
New York - $137,830
Minnesota - $136,580
Washington - $135,520
Wyoming - $133,240
The salaries of psychiatric nurse practitioners also depend on their years of experience. The average salary for psychiatric nurse practitioners just starting is $126,390, and it can rise above $150,000 with years of experience. Those who have more than 20 years of experience get paid the most.
How can you increase your income as a psychiatric nurse practitioner?
To answer this question, we have already mentioned two points that could help increase your salary. If you are adventurous or have no attachments to the location you live in, moving to another state that pays more can be an option. Also, although the road may be hard and it requires patience, you will see that all that hard work will be paid off over time as you gain experience.
Additionally, if the factors above don’t do it for you, another alternative to increase your income could be to take on evening/night shifts or weekends if you’re not already doing that. Let’s say you work at a mental health center and have a fixed schedule; this arrangement would allow you, for example, to do extra hours at a hospital, especially in the evenings and weekends when the salary per hour is paid higher.
Another idea that could bring you some additional income is to produce written content. If you’re into research and would like to contribute to medical knowledge, this may be an area you want to explore. Diffusing knowledge through research papers and medical newsletter is a very lofty way of contributing to healthcare.
Where Do Psychiatric Nurse Practitioners Work?
Being a psychiatric nurse practitioner has additional benefits, such as the different possibilities of a workplace. Psychiatric nurse practitioners can work in many psychiatric facilities. Below we will list some of these with a short explanation of each.
State psychiatric facilities - you can find a job by applying in state hospitals that contain psychiatric facilities or even in separate ones.
Prisons - Correctional facilities are also a probable place of work for psychiatric nurse practitioners because they can help inmates with mental problems deal with and overcome their issues.
Mental health centers - Around the world, there are many mental health centers that help multiple patients overcome their issues. Psychiatric nurse practitioners can also work in these facilities.
Home health locations - Many people need the service of PNP in their houses, so they can work in patients' homes also.
Schools - Schools may become very challenging for some students, whether because of the pressure or relationships between one another; this is why PNPs may be required to work here.
Substance abuse programs - In these programs, PNPs help people overcome their problems with substance usage.
Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner Job Outlook
The job of a psychiatric nurse practitioner is one of the most demanding and in-demand jobs in the United States. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, there were 52.9 million people suffering from one kind of mental disease in 2020 in the U.S. To put it in different words, 1 out 5 people in the U.S. suffer from some kind of mental illness in a year, and 1 out of 25 people have mental illnesses with severe symptoms that highly impact their daily life.
Having that in mind, the need for psychiatric nurse practitioners is high. These people need help in dealing with their issues and improving their mental health. PNPs are the main professionals that contribute to this aspect.
Psychiatric nurse practitioners organize talks and activities to raise awareness about treating individuals with mental issues. Furthermore, they offer diagnosis, healthcare, and more services for these people.
Conclusion
To conclude, the PNP’s job is to help in the maintenance of mental health among people. Their job is very delicate, which justifies the high requirements to become a professional and gain the abilities to work at this job.
This job carries within itself many benefits and motivational factors, with the first one being the chance and ability to help others on issues that many of us have experienced, may experience in the future, or can relate to through our families and friends. And considering the topic for today, being a psychiatric nurse practitioner also grants you a very comfortable financial income, offering the possibility to reach the highest national standards in some states.
Have we convinced you yet to become a psychiatric nurse practitioner? Either way, if you’d like to learn more about the different possibilities for becoming a nurse, check on Pacific College’s programs.