Hello there, October is my 1st anniversary of being a Psych NP so yayyy me! I didn’t want to count the year because for the last couple of months is when I really started the career but now I’m feeling more comfortable. My main mission going into psych and somewhat the purpose of this website was to increase mental health awareness.
The psych profession and access to care should be available worldwide but it’s usually not the case. When I first became a Psych NP, I’ve checked to see if other countries had positions and then it dawned on me, most of these places barely have adequate healthcare for medical problems let alone anything extra.
Fast forward a whole year, I’m still dedicated to providing free mental health education and since I’ve been getting more international views, it’s just beautiful to know that I’m not alone! Mental health is a worldwide problem that’s getting worse…And as a personal goal, I will continue to offer as much as possible for free and hope others continue to use the website as needed.
I already have a resource list if you are new in this area or need some standard mental health information. I also have some great links for getting through grad/nursing school. However, as far as the first year of being a Psych NP, I’ve found some extra help and tips that have been my BFF.
Additional Materials
Here’s a post of my go-to charts and below are resources that are also mentioned there. I’ll update additional tables found on that particular post but here’s a glance of the resources that have helped me in 2020:
- Alaska, Washington, & Wyoming Care Guides by Partnership Access Line, I use the ADHD table, every day, their practice guidelines are FREE.
- Florida Medicaid Mental Health Guidelines stay updated and FREE, they also have a section of screening tools. some costs but they have the Vanderbilt ADHD Diagnostic Teacher and Parent Rating Scales that I use. You can search for more screening tools here.
- Stimulants & Nonstimulants ADHD Medication Chart by CHADD
Extra Materials Elsewhere
- Antidepressant guidelines for those with kidney disease or dialysis, a nice reference chart!
- Antidepressant guidelines and tables for OB, pregnant with mood disorders by WAPC
- FDA Indications color-coded & particular lab monitoring with medications. Lab management isn’t a requirement for most meds but it’s a good practice to avoid major risks and complications.
- Geriatric Care Plan Book: it’s soo nice for the older population and their families. Get more great free downloads.
- My PHQ-9 & GAD-7 screening tools for adults and teenagers.
- The Best Psych Intake: If I ever had my own clinic, this will be the standard form I’ll use before the patient ever gets in the chair, it’s truly helpful to get tons of information in that tiny bit of time available. CPT codes
- Street RX: yup who knew there was a map that tracked the price of street drugs! I also work with a doctor who uses an Opioid Risk Tool (ORT) for narcotic abuse.
- Tables and Charts for Antipsychotics, Anxiety Part I, Antidepressants, Mood, & Stimulants Part II, & the Antidepressant Most Common S/E Chart.
- Urine Drug Screen Guidelines
Updated Media about Mental Health
My Favorite App: WebMD is FREE, has a med interaction checker, current articles, and has a drug-saving option to find cheaper medications or coupons, like its sister app Medscape, just a ton of help.
Nice YouTube Channels:
- Dr. Tracey Marks: a psychiatrist that makes great simple mental health videos and has a website where she offers free downloads about medications and mental health. I subscribed to her emails.
- Live Abuse Free: an expert about narcissists and pathological behaviors and I just love this lady’s voice!
- Psychiatry & Psychotherapy: Dr. David Puder is a psychiatrist who does beautiful educational videos/podcasts about mental health.
- Ramani Durvasula: a clinical psychologist who’s like the guru of dealing with narcissistic behavior.
Also, check out an additional list of great YouTube videos on the PMHNP Review page.
Personal Clinical Tips for 2020
Here are some quick tips that have helped me get through some tough times as a PMHNP:
- I printed off the GAD and PHQ-9 (the above links), went to Kinkos, and double laminated it (PHQ/front and GAD/back or a screening tool on each side) if you’re not sure, the staff is readily available to help. It costs about a dollar and while I was there, I got the dry eraser and markers. It saves money and trees, you don’t have to worry about uploading or keeping a ton of documents. Lately, I’ll take a picture of the results then will erase it for the next patient, and later on, upload the pic to the patient file or have it in my phone to document (delete it after charting). It’s been that crazy at my clinic so it’s convenient. I’ve also laminated many more screening tools…
- I type notes in Google Drive. Not all EMRs act right and save work, once it’s signed you can delete as needed. Having pre-plan notes like the EMRs has increased my productivity significantly, just making them individualized to the situation (sort of like what the EMRs already do).
- Buy supplies, I know it sucks but maybe your job will reimburse or make it a tax write-off, just don’t wait too long. I bought my own BP cuff, digital thermometer, measuring tape, a scale, misc. Plus consider the facebook market for toys if Amazon/eBay is too expensive. Toys have been my saving grace to calm a kid down!
- I put Doxy. Me on my cell phone for backup: if the computers are acting evil, using a cell phone to access Doxy.Me, Zoom, or whatever telehealth website, has been sooo much easier than relying on the work computer or hauling around a laptop. I just put the telepsych home screen and use it on my phone with NO WORRIES.
- In my No Jobs post, I gave a tiny mention of how I watched psychopharmacology seminars. A few of my tips came from the PESI seminars and I will admit, I wrote them off as basic but goodness I was very wrong! The key is making sure the speaker is a Psych NP (or a doctor) because the seminars pack a serious Rx review punch. So the two that I’ve purchased/listened to at least monthly is the 2-Day Integrative Psychopharmacology: The Future of Medications, Nutrition and Genetics by Sharon M. Freeman Clevenger, MSN, MA, PMHCNS-BC (she inspired my genetics post) & Psychopharmacology Conference by Susan Marie, Ph. D., PMHNP (she inspired my charts/table post and laminating screening tools). These digital seminars can be watched at home or anywhere, anytime, and usually cheaper than other conferences plus the speakers are GREAT.
- The last tip: I have a completely different email just for psychopharmacology/medical subscriptions. For some reason, google puts everything into a promotional or spam area…It’s too weird to organize and I keep missing a notification. So I changed the email for NEI, Psychopharmacology Inst., Psychiatric Times, and a few others to the new email. Carlat Report ($129/year) and Simple & Practical ($14/month) also offer subscriptions. I’m using mail.com which is easy and free (it has desktop+ IOS/ Droid app), I didn’t need anything fancy or it will cost or get confusing. Just use the email for subscriptions to stay updated.
I have much more to say, but basically, 2020 has tried to destroy everyone! It’s been a steady train wreck, going down a cliff that’s possibly on fire. I’ve posted a psychologist’s recommendation about how to deal with COVID-19. I’ve also written about staying positive and focused. Also, check out complementary tips and health.
In other words, the best tip for a Psych NP is to NOT forget about yourself. I also know people who have left the field altogether. Mental health attracts people who either love it or hate it. I would never recommend a career just for the money or to get by because some people really get the wrong impression and have failed.
Psych is not easy. We might not send somebody to the moon, but the meds can! plus it’s like mental gymnastics every day so you have to have the right motives and dedication. There are definitely some pros and cons, pay cuts, dead ends…etc. like all professions. Every year I’ll try to post my personal tips and some reflection but every day we have to remain strong and focused. Thanks for reading!
