Currently a psych major trying to figure things out. I came across the profession of psychiatric nurse practitioner. Any advice for those going in that route?

Work as a psych nurse (inpatient) and learn how things go wrong. Learn about what it like when the drugs aren’t right before planning to take some classes and prescribe them.
Work as a psych tech (inpatient hospital) to get direct experience.
Learn to be a competent nurse, you have to treat the whole person. Get enough experience to realize which psych meds are contraindicated with someone’s heart medication.

As an AP, there are many paths you can take—whether working on-site, traveling, working from home, or finding a balance in between. The need for dedicated professionals is immense, yet resources remain scarce.

Sadly, many individuals with psychiatric challenges are treated inhumanely within the system. This breaks my heart. At times, I wish my emergency department training included "veterinary skills" just to provide the compassionate care they deserve.

However, if this is truly your calling, you have the power to make a profound difference—not only in the lives of these individuals but also in your own. Your dedication can bring both meaningful impact and substantial professional rewards.

I would suggest finding out if you have to pay for a clinical site. In CA some programs make one pay a seperate fee in able get a clinical site to get their hours . I’m not sure the process but from what I’ve heard it’s a stumbling block an a very costly added expense .