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Meet kirby

Kirby was born and raised in Chicago, and a proud deep dish pizza enthusiast. She is a lover of travel, food and lifelong learning.Her journey in nursing started in 2006 as a registered nurse in Phoenix, Arizona working on a trauma unit, where she witnessed numerous times the intersection of trauma and mental health symptoms. These initial years in the nursing field sparked her interest in mental health conditions and treatment. She returned to school in 2009 to complete her Masters of Science in Nursing with a psychiatric mental health nursing concentration and successfully completed this degree from University of Virginia in 2011.She began her career as a psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner (PMHNP), working on an adult inpatient psychiatric unit and since that time has worked in various settings including outpatient community mental health, private practice, primary care, crisis stabilization, intensive outpatient and academia.Now, Kirby has over a decade of expertise treating adult patients with mental health conditions and substance use disorders conditions, combined with multiple years of providing undergraduate and graduate level nursing education, and precepting PMHNP students. This career path has led to the realization that her greatest passions include community mental health care and supporting new PMHNPs to become more confident and capable mental health providers.And The PMHNP Source was born.

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The Services

The PMHNP LiftOff Membership ProgramThe PMHNP LiftOff Mentorship program is a membership program for new grad and novice PMHNPs with 0-2 years of experience. This program provides further education on complex clinical topics, mentorship from an experienced PMHNP, career guidance and support, and clinical case consultation.What’s included in the program:
Over 13 hours of video lessons on clinical topics and career guidance
Expert guest speakers
Bi-weekly mentor sessions for career guidance & case consultation
Case study sessions
Resource library & directory
Discussion board in private community with direct access to ask questions between sessions
*** With new content added monthly**Mentees of this group will be apart of a private community that includes replays of LIVE mentor and case study sessions, recorded lectures on mental health and career topics, expert guest speaker presentations, a discussion board for questions and guidance that comes up between sessions (answered by me) and, a library of clinical resources on a variety of topics of clinical focus and other relevant PMHNP subjects such as job search best tips, emotional support animals, substance use disorder treatments, cross tapering antidepressants, resources for professional practice, clinical guidelines for tic disorders, and much more.Next membership cycle starts April 10th, 2024Be the FIRST to find out when the doors open by joining the newsletter; Subscribe here

Frequently Asked QuestionsWhat is the max number of mentees for the program?
Answer: 25-30 mentees.What are the benefits of this program?
Answer: More confidence and competence in your clinical practice. Strategies, tools and resources to ensure long term success as a PMHNP. Skills that will help you provide the most optimal patient care.Will the LIVE sessions be recorded?
Answer: Yes. All live mentor and case study sessions will be recorded and uploaded to the private community membership site within 24 hours of session ending.What is the refund/cancellation policy?
Answer: After membership is purchased there are no refunds.Are there CEUs/CMEs offered for this program?
Answer: No.How long is the program?
You get to choose how long. My recommendation is at least 6 months for the most optimal experience and benefits of the program, community and offerings.Who is this program for?
New grad and novice PMHNPs:
With 0-2 years experience
With limited guidance in their current work environment
Open to being in a supportive environment with other PMHNPs and supporting other members of the group
Looking for clinical consultation and further education to complement their PMHNP programWhat’s the difference between a mentor session and a case study session?
Great question! Mentor sessions are 90 minute sessions held on the 2nd and 4th Mondays of each month. These sessions are an “open forum” style and focused on members of the community discussing complex cases in their practice, questions about next career steps, professional practice questions, those who need a little support in their journey or any other questions as it relates to your PMHNP career path. Feel free to bring any and every question you have to these sessions!Case study sessions are 60 min sessions that are focused on running through various clinical practice case studies of real patient cases from my own professional journey. This is an opportunity to learn and grow by building decision making skills, psychiatric critical thinking skills and problem-solving capabilities. It is another safe space to learn and grow as a PMHNP in this membership community.Are PMHNP students allowed in the program?
This program is geared towards new grads and new to practice PMHNPs. For students who are interested in the PMHNP LiftOff Mentorship program, I highly recommend waiting until the last semester of your PMHNP program or after you graduate to get the best value from the programming, information and resources. Having that foundational knowledge from your program and/or initial clinical experiences is helpful to have prior to the start of this program.Are PMHNPs with more than 2 years allowed in the program?
Though this program is geared towards PMHNPs with 0-2 years of experience, I welcome PMHNPs with more than 2 years of experience because there can still be value obtained from the recorded lessons, the guest speakers, clinical case consultation and resources shared.

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The Confidently Compensated Masterclass

There is a significant knowledge gap that exists in the understanding of salary structures and compensation as a Psych NP.This knowledge gap impacted my own career as a PMHNP, because this lack of understanding meant I did not challenge what was offered to me and as a result was underpaid.In the beginning of my career this meant I didn’t financially advocate for myself well (or at all) and as a result missed out on optimal benefits that would have been valuable to my life and wallet.Not having this knowledge and education as a PMHNP leads to being unprepared in the job search process, being underpaid and undervalued.On my road to continue to empower Psych NPs in their career, I want to close this knowledge gap (hopefully for good!).I am offering the Confidently Compensated Masterclass to PMHNP students and PMHNPs providing a deep dive into all things salary structures, compensation negotiation strategies and appropriate salaries.At the end of our 3 hours together you will:Understand salary structures offered to PMHNPs and be able to identify those that work best for you, your life and your walletBe confident when you get to the negotiating tableBe ready to ask the RIGHT questions from potential employers about salaryBe competent on fair pay and compensationNext Masterclass in Spring 2024.
See ya then!