Psychologist here, hiring our clinic's first PMHNP. What would make this a job you'd actually want?
I hope this is allowed. It's a bit different from the usual post here, and I'm asking for advice, not advertising a job.
I'm a licensed psychologist who runs a rural, university-based, grant-funded clinic. I found out today that we got funding to hire a PMHNP, which I'm thrilled about. I'd rather hear from you than guess at what makes this a good place to work.
The team is me, a clinic manager (social worker), two LPCs, and practicum students. The PMHNP would be our only prescriber, which I know is a lot to ask, so making that feel supported rather than isolating is my main concern.
My rough vision is everyone working at the top of their license. Counselors do therapy, I do therapy plus assessment and testing, and clients come to the PMHNP with the intake and self-report measures already completed and a full workup in hand. To be clear, the psychiatric diagnosis would be theirs to make. Our job is to hand over good data, not a conclusion. But I genuinely don't know if that's what a PMHNP wants, or if I'm designing something that sounds nice to a psychologist and annoying to a prescriber.
Some specific things I'd love input on:
- What makes a solo-prescriber role feel supported instead of isolating? What would you want in place before you'd take a job like this?
- Comp structure. Straight salary, or some productivity component? What have you seen work for a rural non-profit setting? I am not sure if I am allowed with the rules to post our anticipated salary, but if so I am happy to do so. It seems above average for our region from what I have heard.
- Costs I should be budgeting for. I've got collaborating physician, licensure, and CE covered. I know credentialing takes months where they can't bill. What else am I missing?
- Where should I actually post this? I don't want to just throw it on Indeed and hope.
- What else should a psychologist who knows enough to be dangerous know, so I can be a little less dangerous? :)
Full transparency: it's grant-funded, and I'll be upfront with candidates about the term and what I think the odds of continuation look like. We are hoping for full-time, in-person, primarily seeing college-age students with a bit of an emphasis on substance use issues, and not a killer case load. I am not sure what a typical load looks like for a PMHNP, but for reference our therapists see 20 clients per week.
Thanks so much. I really appreciate any thoughts.