Psychologists Prescribe Medicine?

Re: Re: Re: Psych/ PA / Psych Nurse

Ted,

No, a Nurse Practitioner is a Master's level position. Most NP programs lead to an MSN (Master of Science in Nursing) degree with a NP specialty (Family NP, Pediatric NP, Psych NP, etc..). I'm not a Nurse, but from what I've read the Nurse PhD's are generally involved in academia or administration.

- Tom

 

Ted, actually for some time, many NP schools granted a certificate, rather than an actual degree. Nowadays, the trend is to award a MSN: masters' of science in nursing. I suspect few if any schools offer a doctorate in nursing in order to be a nurse practitioner. Some schools still offer certificate programs to those nurses who already have a MSN in something else.

In terms of licensure, in my own state of Washington after 1995, you have to be a registered nurse with a graduate degree with a concentration in advanced nursing practice, or if you already have a graduate degree in nursing, you must complete a nurse practitioner program that is the equivalent of a graduate degree in advanced nursing practice.

Prior to 1995, you needed a RN license and to have completed a nurse practitioner program that lasted at least one academic year.

Each state is different in terms of licensure, but the trend these days is clearly towards earning a MSN as a nurse practitioner.

I will leave it to those interested in history to research the role of the Gynecorps training program as a mechanism to train nurses as gyn advanced practice providers.

 

DNP

The standards are changing... many masters in nursing have credits close to a doctoral level sometimes up to 68 credits for a masters. The "proffesional" bodies have states they want all advanced practice nurses to be educated at a doctoral level by 2015. But then again they wanted all RNs to be educated at the BSN level many years ago and there are still many AS programs in the states.

Given the trend for health care to upgrade to Doctor level such as pharmacy, physical therapy, audiology advanced practice nurses will eventually need a doctorate... at least my best bet.
Jeremy

 

I'm not sure whether either of these is designed around the N-P, but BG15 lists two US-based distance learning nursing doctorates: the Nursing Doctorate (ND) at Case Western Reserve University www.cwru.edu (BG15, 157) and the PhD in Nursing at Duquesne University www.duq.edu (BG15, 108).

 

Doesn't it seem practical that if one wants to be able to deal with prescription meds, that they just get a PharmD? They handle more prescriptions than anyone I know. If I recall correctly, they are also available as distance learning options with internships incorporated.