Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner

Caring for the whole person to make a positive impact on mental health.

Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioners (PMHNP) are one of the most in-demand nursing specialties today. PMHNPs learn the advanced psychiatric skills of therapy, clinical management, and prescribing psychiatric medications to patients. Psychiatric nursing coursework includes psychiatric assessment and symptom management; psychopharmacology; individual, group, and family therapy; and ethics.

DNP-PMHNP details

• 81 credits
• Three years full-time
• Five years part-time
• Hybrid format (meeting the first and third Thursdays of each month)
• 1000 clinical hours

Post-graduate certificate option

 for NPs already certified in another specialty:

• 18 credits
• Online format
• 500 clinical hours

Graduate DNP-PMHNP students are competent, compassionate caregivers who will:

• Provide primary mental health care to patients seeking mental health services.
• Assess, diagnose, and manage mental health problems and psychiatric disorders.
• Apply ethical perspectives to decision-making.
• Advocate health care access for both children and adults.
• Use technology to support the practice.
• Demonstrate knowledge of the issues and trends related to health care and socio-economic policies.