Considering going back to school

[daniegirl6224]

Considering going back to school to become a psychiatric nurse practitioner (NP). Do you know if there is any need for psych NPs specializing in autism?? That would be my dream job, but I do not know whether there is a need.

 

[Judge]

Read this and you decide:

An Updated Guide to Autism Screening: A Primer for Nurse Practitioners

Then again you have to consider that while healthcare represents inelastic demand, autism is not a fatal condition and demographically reflects a relatively small portion of any population.

But clearly many of us need help in one way or another. So I'd consider "need" relative to being close to larger population centers than smaller ones. That not all areas are equal when it comes to a medical infrastructure that caters to autistic patients.

https://www.npjournal.org/article/S1555-4155(23)00398-7/pdf

 

[Rodafina]

I think a specialty in autism could be helpful to you and your professional knowledge regardless of if there is an evident need for it or not - I can't imagine that a specialty in autism would damage professional opportunities. I think it might be unlikely that you only work with autistic patients in most psych environments, but it would still be very helpful to have that expertise for patients who are autistic with co-morbid psychiatric conditions.

 

[Judge]

I think a specialty in autism could be helpful to you and your professional knowledge regardless of if there is an evident need for it or not - I can't imagine that a specialty in autism would damage professional opportunities. I think it might be unlikely that you only work with autistic patients in most psych environments, but it would still be very helpful to have that expertise for patients who are autistic with co-morbid psychiatric conditions.

Good point. Your post reminded me of another different set of concerns to be aware of.

Especially when compared to certain other fields of endeavor such as obstetrics or gynecology compounded by the legal liability of malpractice concerns. Things that are deterring med school grads and others from even considering when communities large and small still need them badly.

An old issue which remains quite prevalent in the state of Nevada. In essence, for some people it's not a place to give birth or require specialized surgery. I still remember when my cousin was actually assigned to surgery in another state due to the lack of specialized surgeons here in Nevada.

Making caring for autistic patients to likely have less liability concerns in comparison, even if the demographics mean less than two percent of most populations. Not to mention the potential of malpractice insurance premiums taking quite a jump from being a nurse to a nurse practitioner, regardless of what they may specialize in.

Something to look into, in any event. It may not pay as much, but in the field of medicine it may not cost as much either.

America is facing an OB-GYN shortage, with Las Vegas most at risk, survey finds

 

[daniegirl6224]

Thanks so much for your feedback! I officially submitted my application for a Psych NP program today And I spoke with my friend who is a psychologist at an autism clinic and they might hire a Psych NP in the future It would be my ideal thing

 

[daniegirl6224]

Does anyone know what sort of accommodations could help with grad school/clinicals?

 

[MC1Rcat]

Hi. Congratulations on your decision to go back to school! I believe it is never too late. I went back in my early 40s and it was a big adjustment, but it was great! I highly recommend asking for any accommodations you suspect you may need. You will probably need to register with the office for disabled students on campus when you start your new school. In order to register, I was required to provide a doctor's letter describing my condition and listing the accommodations I requested. I also needed to give a copy of that letter to each professor on the 1st day of class. Some things that I asked for were: sitting in the front row of the classroom, near a door or window (because I get migraines from strong scents and cannot concentrate, especially during quizzes or exams). Sitting in front row of class insures less exposure to smells because nobody is in front of you. (It also makes it easier to fidget or stim during 2 hour classes without annoying your classmates ) I also asked to be able to move to another part of the room (especially during exams) if someone's perfume was setting my migraines off. (Some professors assign seating for exams). I also asked for more time to finish exams, because a lot of exams are timed, and I need extra time to think things out. Also, exams that have time limits and/ or a lack of the ability to skip around and go back to questions, really gives me a lot of anxiety and can seriously affect my grade. About half of my exams (in person or remote) were on a computer and were timed. Anxiety badly affects my memory and that is a big problem when you are taking a heavy science based curriculum. I did pre-med undergrad and nutritional biochemistry grad. A lot of memorization and critical thinking was necessary. One of my classmates used to take exams in the disability office so that they could have more quiet and less distractions, as well as extra time for the exams. They were also able to choose which days they wanted to take their exams in the disability office, and did not have to take more than one exam per day. That is a HUGE help, because every one else often had 2 or 3 exams in one day!

Don't be too embarrassed or afraid to ask for accomodations. You really need your brain working right, without any distractions/ environmental setbacks during exams. It is crucial to getting a high GPA, which is needed to graduate. Many medical training programs (for example: all of the nursing schools I know of) do not allow people to retake a class if they get lower than a B grade. So, if they get lower than a B in just one class, they cannot ever graduate, because every class in the curriculum is required.

I also let my professors know that due to my dysautonomia, I might have more than the standard number of absences from class, so that I would not have my grade lowered. Some professors figure class attendance into the final grade. I was never absent more than once per semester, but it is better for the professor to know before something happens. I have heard professors tell students many times in the past, that they needed to tell them if something was going on either before a problem came up (like for a disability), or right when it started (like illness ...the flu etc.). Otherwise, they couldn't help them. Telling the professor you couldn't finish your exam in the time allotted, or didn't finish your assignment on time, after the fact, because of a disability or an illness, will not obligate them to make an exception for you. Many professors might not believe a student who claims a disability or medical issue was the reason, without providing them with a letter at the beginning of the semester or a doctor's note for a recent illness. Students try to get assignment deadline extensions and curves on their grades all of the time, and they come up with the craziest excuses to try to get the professor to help them. A lot of professors suspect everyone of it and are super strict and unhelpful if you do not ask for accommodations in the beginning of the semester. In some schools, professors are not allowed to make exceptions without an accommodation letter. It can be a bit embarassing to have to hand those letters out.. but if something happens and you have an issue, you will be covered. Good Luck

 

[daniegirl6224]

Hi. Congratulations on your decision to go back to school! I believe it is never too late. I went back in my early 40s and it was a big adjustment, but it was great! I highly recommend asking for any accommodations you suspect you may need. You will probably need to register with the office for disabled students on campus when you start your new school. In order to register, I was required to provide a doctor's letter describing my condition and listing the accommodations I requested. I also needed to give a copy of that letter to each professor on the 1st day of class. Some things that I asked for were: sitting in the front row of the classroom, near a door or window (because I get migraines from strong scents and cannot concentrate, especially during quizzes or exams). Sitting in front row of class insures less exposure to smells because nobody is in front of you. (It also makes it easier to fidget or stim during 2 hour classes without annoying your classmates ) I also asked to be able to move to another part of the room (especially during exams) if someone's perfume was setting my migraines off. (Some professors assign seating for exams). I also asked for more time to finish exams, because a lot of exams are timed, and I need extra time to think things out. Also, exams that have time limits and/ or a lack of the ability to skip around and go back to questions, really gives me a lot of anxiety and can seriously affect my grade. About half of my exams (in person or remote) were on a computer and were timed. Anxiety badly affects my memory and that is a big problem when you are taking a heavy science based curriculum. I did pre-med undergrad and nutritional biochemistry grad. A lot of memorization and critical thinking was necessary. One of my classmates used to take exams in the disability office so that they could have more quiet and less distractions, as well as extra time for the exams. They were also able to choose which days they wanted to take their exams in the disability office, and did not have to take more than one exam per day. That is a HUGE help, because every one else often had 2 or 3 exams in one day!

Don't be too embarrassed or afraid to ask for accomodations. You really need your brain working right, without any distractions/ environmental setbacks during exams. It is crucial to getting a high GPA, which is needed to graduate. Many medical training programs (for example: all of the nursing schools I know of) do not allow people to retake a class if they get lower than a B grade. So, if they get lower than a B in just one class, they cannot ever graduate, because every class in the curriculum is required.

I also let my professors know that due to my dysautonomia, I might have more than the standard number of absences from class, so that I would not have my grade lowered. Some professors figure class attendance into the final grade. I was never absent more than once per semester, but it is better for the professor to know before something happens. I have heard professors tell students many times in the past, that they needed to tell them if something was going on either before a problem came up (like for a disability), or right when it started (like illness ...the flu etc.). Otherwise, they couldn't help them. Telling the professor you couldn't finish your exam in the time allotted, or didn't finish your assignment on time, after the fact, because of a disability or an illness, will not obligate them to make an exception for you. Many professors might not believe a student who claims a disability or medical issue was the reason, without providing them with a letter at the beginning of the semester or a doctor's note for a recent illness. Students try to get assignment deadline extensions and curves on their grades all of the time, and they come up with the craziest excuses to try to get the professor to help them. A lot of professors suspect everyone of it and are super strict and unhelpful if you do not ask for accommodations in the beginning of the semester. In some schools, professors are not allowed to make exceptions without an accommodation letter. It can be a bit embarassing to have to hand those letters out.. but if something happens and you have an issue, you will be covered. Good Luck

Thank you sooooo much for your reply, this information is very helpful! Thank you!

 

[MC1Rcat]

Thank you sooooo much for your reply, this information is very helpful! Thank you!

You're welcome... I am glad it helped