M.S., Nursing, Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner

Concentration Overview

The M.S.N., Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Program prepares B.S.N.-level, actively licensed registered nurses to provide mental healthcare services across the lifespan. A bachelor’s degree in nursing must be obtained from an accredited institution or recognized foreign institution. The curriculum plan holds a requirement of 46 didactic credit hours as well as 750 supervised clinical practicum hours of direct patient care. The Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Program is robust and prepares graduates to function as independent providers of a wide range of mental healthcare services in a variety of settings. Successful graduates will also meet the educational and clinical practice standard requirements for board certification as set forth by the American Nurse Credentialing Center (ANCC). 

Credit Distribution

I. Core Courses (6 credits)

NUR-5290	Health Policy	3
NUR-5300	Evidence-Based Nursing Practice	3

II. Direct Care Core Courses (9 credits)

NUR-5160	Advanced Health Assessment	3
NUR-6400	Advanced Pathophysiology	3
NUR-6500	Advanced Pharmacology	3

III. Concentration (10 Credits)

NUR-7600	Psychopharmacology and Neuroscience Foundations across the Lifespan	4
NUR-7610	Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Roles and Contemporary Issues	3
NUR-7620	Family System Psychopathology and Psychotherapeutics Across the Lifespan	3

IV. Practicum Courses (21 Credits)

NUR-7631	Advanced Assessment, Differential Diagnosis, and Management of Psychiatric Disorders: Child and Adolescent Populations	7
NUR-7632	Advanced Assessment, Differential Diagnosis, and Management of Psychiatric Disorders: Adults Populations	7
NUR-7633	Advanced Assessment, Differential Diagnosis, and Management of Psychiatric Disorders: Geriatric Populations	7

Total Credit Hours: 46

Program Competencies

In addition to the M.S.N. outcomes, the graduate of the Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner program will be able to:

• Utilize inter-professional knowledge in the advanced nursing care of diverse patients, families, and communities to enact clinical judgment and innovation in nursing practice.
• Demonstrate person-centered, advanced nursing care for diverse patients, families, and communities to promote positive health outcomes.
• Construct advanced nursing care to diverse communities to improve population outcomes.
• Appraise evidence-based advanced nursing care to diverse patients, families, and communities to improve and transform health care.
• Employ advanced nursing care to diverse patients, families, and communities that ensures quality and safety.
• Collaborate in the provision of advanced nursing care to diverse patients, families, and communities to optimize outcomes.
• Lead in the provision of advanced nursing care to diverse patients, families, and communities to provide equitable outcomes.
• Use technology in advanced nursing care to improve the delivery of care.
• Integrate professionalism in advanced nursing care of diverse patients, families, and communities to reflect nursing’s characteristics and values.
• Participate in professional and personal activities while providing advanced nursing care for diverse patients, families, and communities to support life-long learning.