Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner

Mount Carmel College of Nursing’s Master of Science Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) Program is designed for those who currently hold a bachelor’s degree in nursing and are looking to specialize in caring for those in the psychiatric-mental health population across the lifespan. This program is designed for both novice and experienced registered nurses who are looking to advance their nursing career. The PMHNP prepares the advanced registered nurse to care for individuals, groups, and families in both counseling and psychopharmaceutical management.

The role of the PMHNP is to assess, diagnose and treat the mental health needs of patients. Many PMHNPs provide therapy and prescribe medications for patients who have mental health disorders or substance abuse problems. PMHNPs may also provide physical and psychosocial assessments, emergency psychiatric care and treatment effectiveness evaluations. This program will prepare the PMNP to work in a variety of settings including hospitals, primary care, schools, telemedicine, public health, substance abuse clinics, outpatient psychiatry, correction facilities, and private practice. The program is offered in an online format with direct clinical experiences and three immersive experiences. Students will complete a total of 43 credit hours and 500 direct clinical hours.

Student Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner track, graduates will have the knowledge and skills to:

1. Integrate nursing, social, and health related theories with evidence-based practice to enhance, innovate and design quality and effective delivery of health care. (ME I); [DD 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 9]; {QSEN 2, 4, 5, 6}

2. Assimilate evidence into practice to provide timely, ethical, compassionate, and culturally responsive, person-centered advanced nursing care. (ME IV); [DD 2, 4]; {QSEN 1, 2, 3, 6}

3. Integrate patient care technology and information systems in the coordination and evaluation of advanced nursing practice (ME V); [DD 1, 2, 7, 8, 9]; {QSEN 3, 5, 6}

4. Participate in evidence-based policy and practice that promotes dimensions of health and wellness and development for self, peers, individuals, families, communities and populations. (ME VI, VIII); [DD 1, 3, 4, 8, 9]; {QSEN 1, 2, 3, 5, 6}

5. Use quality improvement tools, performance measures and standards to drive care delivery that is safe, cost-effective and achieves desired outcomes. (ME III); [DD 5, 6, 7, 8, 9]; {QSEN 2, 4, 5, 6}

6. Apply leadership principles to promote ethical and strategic change in health care and health policy at organizational, local, and regional levels. (ME II); [DD 3, 4, 7, 8, 9, 10?]; {QSEN 1?, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6}

7. Facilitate interprofessional and community partnerships to address the diverse health care needs in local, regional, national and/or global communities. (ME VII); [DD 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 9, 10]; {QSEN 1, 2, 3, 6}

8. Support advanced nursing roles and nursing’s unique disciplinary perspectives to enhance outcomes (ME IX); [DD 1, 4, 5, 6, 9, 10]; {QSEN 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6}