by Alison Warcup, PMHNP-BC
Published May 13, 2021
So, you’ve made an appointment to come see me, the psychiatric nurse practitioner, at UVU Student Health Services, but now as the appointment approaches, you’re a little nervous. You may be unsure of what to expect, or what could happen in the appointment.
All of those thoughts are understandable, and this post is going to discuss a few key things you should know before meeting with a psychiatric provider. But before we do that, let me say, well done! It’s not always easy to make the decision to see a psychiatric provider and I commend you for taking the first, and hardest, step in addressing your mental health needs.
Now, onto the good stuff!
What should I know about my first psychiatric appointment at UVU Student Health Services?
1) Know your medical and psychiatric history (as much as possible). This includes:
- All your medical concerns or diagnoses (even form different doctors)
- All the current medication you take. That means the names, the dosages, when you started them and why you’re taking them.
- Family history of psychiatric diagnoses or medical diagnoses.
2) Be prepared for me, the psychiatric nurse practitioner, to ask A LOT of questions.
- I ask a lot of open-ended questions, questions that can’t be answered with just a “yes” or “no”.
- You DON’T have to have an answer for every question and there are NO wrong answers.
- Sometimes questions can bring up sensitive topics, please know you DO NOT have to share anything that makes you uncomfortable.
3) It’s ok to experience LOTS of different emotions during the appointment.
- If you need to cry, cry. If you need to take time, take time.
- All emotions are valid emotions during an appointment.
4) We will come up with a plan to move you forward, BUT it most likely won’t be the final plan and that’s perfectly normal.
- We will discuss LOTS of options for treatment, including psycho-tropic medication, lifestyle changes and even therapy. But it’s possible you may leave the appointment without a prescription for medication.
- We may discuss other medical issues you need to have addressed by a different provider, and referrals may be made to appropriate specialists in other fields if needed.
- We may talk about possible diagnoses, but not always in the first appointment.
- We will discuss how treatment might change as time progresses and how we might manage those changes in the future.
- I can answer any and all questions you might have about treatment options, diagnoses, etc.
If you’d like to make an initial evaluation appointment with a psychiatric provider at UVU Student Health Services, please contact Student Health Services by calling (801) 863-8876
