Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
About
Advance your clinical nursing skills to become a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner. Our 44-credit-hour hybrid Master of Science in Nursing Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (MSN-PMHNP) program prepares you for the advanced nursing role of providing mental health treatment and support services to clients and their families.
Our small classes and personalized attention from faculty make it easy for working nurses to connect with professors. Our faculty are practicing clinicians, and they bring that knowledge to the classroom, preparing you for your own clinical experiences in nursing.
You will also benefit from connections to Louisville’s thriving medical community and established clinical placements.
As a psychiatric nurse practitioner, you’ll be able to create holistic treatment plans specific to each patient’s psychiatric needs, working with doctors to diagnose and prescribe medication.
Post-Master’s Certificate Available
Our Post-Master’s Certificate in the Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner program is designed for nurses who already hold a Master’s degree in Nursing and seek to enhance their expertise in mental health care. This specialized program prepares you to integrate advanced nursing practice principles with a focus on diverse and underserved populations. Through effective interprofessional collaboration, evidence-based decision-making, and the use of advanced healthcare technologies, you will contribute to improved health outcomes and the well-being of individuals across the lifespan.
Features
The focus of MSN-PMHNP is to apply theory, research and evidence-based practice into clinical settings with clients across the life span. As a graduate of the Master of Science in Nursing – Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (MSN-PMHNP) program, you’ll be prepared to:
- think critically to solve problems of a diverse client population
- serve in a variety of acute, sub-acute, and community-based clinical settings
- apply for certification by the appropriate credentialing body
Guaranteed Clinical Placements
The Louisville metropolitan area and adjacent suburban and rural areas contain a wide variety of clinical settings for clinical education rotations, as well as future employment opportunities. Focused and intentional clinical placements throughout the program give clinical partners the opportunity to recruit graduate students early in the program, ensuring high employment rates upon graduation.
Program Details
- 44 credit hours of coursework, with 750 required clinical hours completed during the second year of study
- 20 professional service hours of learning outside the classroom
- Coursework is consistent with the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN)’s Essentials of Master’s Education in Nursing and the competencies prescribed by the specialty’s professional organization.
- A maximum of 15 students per cohort
- Enrollment in May of each year
Career Options
Our graduates work in a variety of settings, including:
- Inpatient and outpatient mental health
- Partial hospitalization programs
- Integrated mental health settings
Continuing Education
Spalding University School of Nursing Faculty stay on top of the latest learning and teaching strategies and research through continuing nursing education, including:
- Nurse Tim webinars
- KeithRN resources
- CCNE
- NONPF
- ANA online resources
- Spalding University Center for Teaching and Learning
Additionally, graduate Nursing Faculty hold an annual retreat, further developing the skill set for teaching in the graduate program.
Admissions
We offer rolling admissions. You can apply and enroll virtually anytime with classes starting every six to eight weeks. Learn more about our admission requirements.
Program Accreditation
The baccalaureate, master’s and doctoral degrees in nursing at Spalding University are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, 655 K Street, NW, Suite 750, Washington, DC 20001, 202-887-6791.
See our professional licensure disclosure.
Program Outcomes
- Integrate the health and safety of the advanced practice nurse through self-reflection and self-care behaviors to preserve the well-being and wholeness of character while fostering personal and professional growth.
- Implement advanced practice principles through effective interprofessional collaboration to improve and promote equitable health outcomes for diverse populations while incorporating culturally competent care strategies for health promotion, wellness, and disease management.
- Effectively incorporate the use of healthcare technology, informatics, and a wide range of advanced communication techniques in order to achieve safe, high quality care to patients, communities, and diverse populations.
- Incorporate and build upon foundational knowledge gained from nursing and related arts and sciences in order for the advanced practice nurse to continuously develop in one’s area of practice to promote professional growth.
- Utilize evidence-based decision-making in advanced practice nursing to impact care and improve patient outcomes across the lifespan.
- Collaboratively, with professionals from multiple disciplines, provide ethical, culturally-sensitive, and holistic advanced practice care- supported by theory and research- reflecting advanced practice nursing values to enhance the health status of diverse populations.
- Utilizing a social justice framework, integrate advanced nursing leadership principles to guide effective, safe practice across multiple healthcare settings.
- Integrate a holistic team approach incorporating evidence-based advanced nursing practice to facilitate caring and respect for human dignity across the life span to diverse individuals, families, and communities.