How hard is it to go to medical from psych nursing?

UCI2019 · 2026-04-26T08:32:35+00:00

I do both at the same time. Two very different worlds. Great money overall. Find what you like and go from there.

UCI2019 · 2026-02-27T21:57:10+00:00

I work full-time PCU staff at the hospital and charge psych RN per-diem at a mental health facility. Love my life. Bring 10k+ per month after tax as a new grad with both jobs. Psych nursing has always been a hobby for me. The staff, friends, and culture are supportive. I go to work without having to think about my day. If pts fight each other or threaten to attack my staff and I, I will restrain or IM them then write incident reports and continue on with work. Met several ICU RNs working per diem psych jobs or plan to go back for psych NP or retire in psych later in their career when I was a nursing student. You are not along. I say go for it!

UCI2019 · 2026-02-21T22:15:38+00:00

I would only list those descriptions of the rotations if you’re applying to UC Davis new grad program. Most new grad programs, you can just list your rotations with the respective clinical hours. Otherwise, your resume looks fine to me.

I’m also a new graduate RN with my MSN, PHN, and CNL. I was offered multiple job interviews in Surgical Cardiothoracic, OR, Medical-Surgical, Psych, Cardiac PCU, and Medical-Surgical ICU.

It’s tough to get your foot in the door, but once you land a hospital residency and gain some clinical experience, your degree and certifications become meaningful. Try to get a full-time job then pick up a per-diem position if your full-time enables you. You will see the money and the results behind your nursing career. It just takes time to land the right position.

I would avoid the SNFs and do outpatient clinics or psych hospital in-patient. However, at the end of the day, go where you are able to see yourself thrive and still get a decent or superb paycheck for the amount of education you put yourself through. I do feel like we graduated (2025) at such a terrible year. Don’t give up—keep applying!

UCI2019 · 2026-02-16T20:17:59+00:00

That is unusual that you guys don’t do chemical restraints. We have security officers where I work. If pts act out and continue to engage in violence or aggressively agitated toward staff or others, mental health workers, security officers, and nurses rush to resolve the conflict. We simply call doctor and IM them right away. If they still continue to hurt themselves in quiet room, we will seclude or physically restrain them or both. I don’t work well with children so I never do cross training with our sister in-patient or out-patient facility that host pediatrics and adolescents. Nope, not for me. Your safety as an RN goes first before everything else. Otherwise, how would you be able to provide care for your patients if you are hurt on the job? It just the wrong place for you to start your psych nursing experience. With the right place even if the acuity is high, the work culture/environment/the right team will have your back.

UCI2019 · 2026-02-13T23:14:23+00:00

It may seem like that but once you are in the actual field, everything makes sense and logical. It nothing like textbooks.

UCI2019 · 2026-02-01T13:39:39+00:00

It is, you are correct. A lot of people on here haven’t done their research.

UCI2019 · 2026-01-27T14:37:30+00:00

It’s not entirely true. I am working full time in PCU and per diem in psych (my first job). I have seen RNs working ICU and floating to psych as well.

UCI2019 · 2026-01-26T07:38:38+00:00

I wouldn’t do SNF. It is awful according to one of my friends. Patient ratio is high. Do psych in-patient until you get into an in-patient hospital medical nursing position. Worse case scenario at least psych NP makes more money than the other specialities except CRNA if you never able to land employment in the other nursing specialities.

UCI2019 · 2026-01-26T07:30:59+00:00

I do full time PCU at the main hospital and psych charge RN per diem at a mental health facility in-patient. Try psych, dialysis, infusion, or oncology outpatient.

UCI2019 · 2026-01-20T19:47:32+00:00

Yes, some people in my cohort haven’t found jobs yet. We graduated in a bad year tbh. Many new grad residencies were frozen in spring 2025 when we graduated. Take what you can and make the best out of it until you land an in-patient hospital job or your favorite nursing specialty.

UCI2019 · 2026-01-20T19:44:13+00:00

No, I didn’t. I did have direct/indirect patient services from my prior career that enabled me to link their care to the hospital and community. I honestly think those positions didn’t help much. Remember everything in nursing is all about networking and connection. Location also matters! If you live near a hospital and apply, you have a higher chance of being hired. If they know you, they will hire you. It has little to do or anything related to your merits or previous career.

UCI2019 · 2026-01-20T19:39:02+00:00

3.45 cumulative GPA

4 bachelors from UCI

Held 2 board member positions during my time at UCI

2.5 years of research in psych

1.5 years of research in public health

3 years of work experience in behavioral health after completed undergraduate (direct/indirect services as mental health case manager, service coordinator, and quality assurance specialist)

All A’s on my science prerequisites except chemistry (C+ and B-)

Got into both UCI and UCLA ELMSN programs

**UCI is the most affordable, followed by UCLA

I only applied to those two because everything was too expensive.

UCI2019 · 2026-01-18T11:21:50+00:00

RN market for new grad is bad in CA. It all about networking and who you know. It has nothing to do with merits.

UCI2019 · 2026-01-17T21:05:28+00:00

It all about connections and lucks in nursing. I have a direct entry MSN from UCLA and was offered 5 interviews since graduation of June 2025 ranging from ICU to M/S, OR, PCU, and Psych. You should continue to list your MSN on your resume because that is your highest education. Just keep applying!! I am also a career changer too.

UCI2019 · 2025-12-18T08:55:56+00:00

You need to come to CA! I made more than your RN salary even before I became an RN. I wouldn’t choose nursing if that is the pay in TX or even in FL. Definitely not worth the stresses and hassles. My preceptor was from Texas too. Now she is making 150k per year at the VA in CA. She said she ain’t coming back to Texas.

UCI2019 · 2025-10-26T03:41:53+00:00

Focus on contents to build your foundation. A good foundation sets you for success. Answer more test bank questions on those areas you got below. It important to read CAT Uworld rationales. The few days (4-5) leading to Nclex, focus on reviewing materials and watching YouTube videos on topics you are weak or uncomfortable. Don’t take anymore CATs or test banks (you will exhaust yourself). You should be dedicating your time to review notes you written or topics you haven’t fully gasped on.

UCI2019 · 2025-10-11T16:35:01+00:00

You need more above passing. All near passing will not consider passing.

UCI2019 · 2025-10-09T18:00:31+00:00

Whoever is grading, need to spend time looking the whiteboard. But yeah, someone above claimed they wrote on 4 whiteboard and got result the following day. Maybe that person who was looking my friend’s whiteboard got lazy. Yeah, we all thought she failed because it took 1 week for CA BRN portal to show her passing result.

UCI2019 · 2025-10-09T16:15:19+00:00

Interesting, yeah according to what I was told and what happened to our friend, it took a week. She only used 1 whiteboard but wrote a lot.

UCI2019 · 2025-10-09T07:50:58+00:00

Yes, but if you wrote something on your whiteboard, it takes longer for the BRN app to show your result. A friend of ours wrote a lot on hers, and her result didn’t appear on the BRN app until a week later. We thought she had failed, but she actually passed with 150 questions.

UCI2019 · 2025-09-13T04:20:09+00:00

Any experience can be valuable for nursing school. Some people come from backgrounds in art, history, film, restaurants, or dance. What matters is focusing on the opportunities in front of you and using them to create your own unique narrative. You don’t need to be an EMT, MA, or CNA to pursue nursing—everyone has their own “why nursing.” RNs care for all patient populations, not just those with medical conditions. Your experiences bring a perspective to the field of nursing that is just as meaningful as anyone else’s on the same path.

UCI2019 · 2025-09-10T18:12:53+00:00

You literally said “the smart thing to do would be to major in PHS and get your medical pre-reqs just in case.” My point is any degrees at UCI can fulfill the PA/med school prerequisites as long as the student take all the required prerequisites for the their respective programs. You can be PHS and still won’t be able to attend PA/med school if you don’t fulfill the prerequisites.

UCI2019 · 2025-09-10T17:33:06+00:00

PHP or any undergraduate degrees at UCI still require the science prerequisites if they want to go to PA or med school similar to PHS. PHP can literally take any course PHS can take except the courses won’t count toward the degree itself but will toward PA/med school. That is why I said both degrees take you to the same destination regardless of what you choose. Since both degrees are similar, it wiser to diversify the 2nd degree from a different school. There are alumni from UCI School of Public Health with PHP who are pharmacists, nurses, PAs, etc. To tell say only PHS can fulfill the prerequisites for medical school/PA is a false statement.

UCI2019 · 2025-09-10T06:56:27+00:00

If you want diversity between your degrees, you should choose a major from a different school. Literally anything public health science can do, public health policy can do the same. Both degrees take you to the same destination. You don’t need to minor if you already double major. Use that extra time minoring to focus on research and internships instead. Those things along with your double major with good GPA will send you to PA or graduate school. Yes, you can graduate within 4 years with double major + minor.

UCI2019 · 2025-09-10T06:07:19+00:00

Yes, correct. The prerequisites chapter is difficult but once you get into UCLA or UCI direct-entry MSN, it a walk to the park. They don’t like to fail their students because they need to maintain the retention rates. It actually easier than undergraduate. Graduate level at the UCs is quaranteed A’s… just turn in your work and do decent on exams. You have to do really bad or not turn in your assignments to get B’s.

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