Total change in careers? Waste of time and money? Considering being a NP or PA

[agif]

I am a Clinical Research Research Coordinator and I have a Master's in Experimental Psychology. Since undergrad, I have been pursuing my PhD in Clinical Psychology. That path has not really worked for me and it's time I figure out what I really want to do. I love research, but I don't like being a research coordinator. I do not find it fulfilling at all. I am happiest on days when I see patient's but that's maybe 20% of my time. I love science and medicine and I love learning. I really want to find something that I am passionate about, where I feel like I am making a difference, enacting change, and helping people.

So that;s why I'm here. I am heavily considering doing an ABSN and then getting my DNP - specifically in psych or potentially PA school. But here's my dilemma: I am having a hard time not feeling like everything I've done before - undergrad, grad school, work - has been a huge waste of time if I decide to switch gears like this. I have a lot of guilt about it. I feel like I would be wasting all that time and money that it took to get my Master's in pursuit of my PhD. I made my bed but taking the path I have and it's time to lie in it. It's too late for me to switch like this. (I'm 26). It makes me feel like people will think my Master's was pointless and what have I been doing?

What should I do? Help

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[Splenda88]

You are not wasting your time. It's time to switch gear if what you are doing won't be rewarding financially (emphasis on financially) and professionally. Get a psych NP and you will have the potential to make bank$... 150k-200k/year

 

[psychnurse]

I was an AVP at a large investment management firm with a masters and renowned professional certification when I decided to switch to nursing. I was 38 when I started nursing school and will be 44 when I get my psych NP. Talk about a total change. Do it if you're not getting what want out of your current career. Psych nursing is really awesome and if you love patient interactions (even the very tough ones), you'll enjoy it. It can also be very stressful.

I think it's very rare for Psych NPs to make $150k-200k though. I think you can expect $100k-$130, but you can pick up extra hours elsewhere if you want to make more.

 

[pamac]

I think it's very rare for Psych NPs to make $150k-200k though. I think you can expect $100k-$130, but you can pick up extra hours elsewhere if you want to make more.

You’ll be pleasantly surprised upon graduation...

Psyche NPing, even without a background in clinical psychology, is very lucrative. I have a hard time finding psyche NPs that don’t make $150k-$200k. A brand new grad might be found in the $100k-$130k range, but mostly as a result of naïveté. Anyone else ending up there for long is a sucker. Depends on the local market, sure, but I’m not even in a hot locale, and started around the low end of what I quoted. I don’t know much about states where NPs don’t have independent practice rights. And I didn’t pay a dime for my NP degree.... it was reimbursed. In psyche, you either qualify for reimbursement from the government, or you often can get your employer to reimburse you as part of your employment contract. Those that I know that didn’t do either of those two things typically took jobs that paid so much that in one year they were out of debt, while still taking home ~$120k. I make more than my CRNA acquaintance. I don’t take call, work weekends, nights, or holidays, nor sleep at the hospital.

 

[Splenda88]

You’ll be pleasantly surprised upon graduation...

Psyche NPing, even without a background in clinical psychology, is very lucrative. I have a hard time finding psyche NPs that don’t make $150k-$200k. A brand new grad might be found in the $100k-$130k range, but mostly as a result of naïveté. Anyone else ending up there for long is a sucker. Depends on the local market, sure, but I’m not even in a hot locale, and started around the low end of what I quoted. I don’t know much about states where NPs don’t have independent practice rights. And I didn’t pay a dime for my NP degree.... it was reimbursed. In psyche, you either qualify for reimbursement from the government, or you often can get your employer to reimburse you as part of your employment contract. Those that I know that didn’t do either of those two things typically took jobs that paid so much that in one year they were out of debt, while still taking home ~$120k. I make more than my CRNA acquaintance. I don’t take call, work weekends, nights, or holidays, nor sleep at the hospital.

That's what I thought... My friend is a FNP and did the psych certificate and already got a job making 150k even if she has not taken the board exam yet.

 

[d2305]

At least you'll breeze through the psych portion of school, which some of my classmates had trouble with.