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The Headwinds and Tailwinds of Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner Residencies
Mary Beth Fisher*
Faculty of Graduate Nursing Programs, University of Virginia School of Nursing, Virginia, USA
Submission: March 26, 2026;Published:March 26, 2026
*Corresponding author: Mary Beth Fisher, Faculty of Graduate Nursing Programs, University of Virginia School of Nursing, Virginia, USA
How to cite this article: Mary Beth F. The Headwinds and Tailwinds of Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner Residencies. JOJ Nurse Health Care. 2026; 14(3): 555888.DOI:10.19080/JOJNHC.2025.14.555888
Abstract
Keywords: Psychiatric NP workforce; PMHNP clinical training; Mental health care access; Nurse practitioner mentorship; Psychiatric NP burnout
Mini Review
As we all know, access to primary care services is limited and likely to become even more limited. (Reynolds et al. 2021) They found by 2033 there will be 124,000 physician shortage. Nurse practitioners are an invaluable part of closing this gap (Reynolds et al. 2021) Per the NP fact sheet in 2020, there were 290,000 Nurse Practitioners [1]. This number continues as demand for care increases (NP Fact sheet, 2021).
Post graduate fellowship programs have expanded since 2007. These programs facilitate transition to practice after graduation (Gonzalez et al). Currently there are over 58 programs according to Flinter and Bammrick (2017) These programs hope to reduce burnout and turn over and improve recruitment in new NPs. (2017) Data shows that fellowship prepared NP’s feel, prepared (via self-assessment) (Flinter C Harr. 2016) This also included feedback from mentors. In addition to this, Bryant and Parker found that levels of satisfaction and retention were significantly higher in post fellowship graduates. Specifically, 49% of fellowship trained NPs reported job satisfaction versus 42% of non-fellowship trained NPs [2]. Productivity is also an advantage of a fellowship. Although a slower ramp up, [3] found that 94.3% of rooms were full in the fellowship graduate compared to 56.9% and 56.1% in non-fellowship graduates. This suggests improvement in retention and productivity which can be extra pointed to a better transition. What then are some of the downsides. Some institutions see them as costly as they have a slower ramp up. They also require the time of a seasoned NP. Institutions also worry that once they have trained a fellow, they will leave. Therefore, it behooves us to do further research and find solutions to these concerns as NP’s are vital to the physician shortage and access to care.
References
- American Association of Nurse Practitioners, 2021.
- Bryant S, Parker K (2020) Participation in a nurse practitioner fellowship to instill greater confidence, job satisfaction, and increased job retention. J Am Assoc Nurse Pract 32(10): 645-651.
- Comula, Hede (2021) Outcomes of a NP and fellowship no Nursing 411142021 pp:153 Bernick and Flinter, 2011 from new to pen.
