Post-Graduate Certificate: Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner

Mount Carmel College of Nursing’s Post-Graduate Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) Certificate Program is designed for those who currently hold a master’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 master-prepared nurses who are looking to advance their nursing career. The PMHNP prepares the advanced master-prepared nurse to care for individuals, groups, and families in both counseling and psychopharmaceutical management.

Career Information and Technical Skills

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 22-25 credit hours (depending on their previous educational experience) and 500 direct clinical hours.

Class Start Date

The Traditional Post-Master’s Certificate Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner classes typically begin Summer Term and Fall Term (dependent on individual student plan of study).

Transfer Credit

For those students who already hold a national nurse practitioner certification and seek a second nurse practitioner area of focus, their transcripts will be evaluated for clinical practicum hours and courses. Our PMHNP programs require the attainment of 500 direct clinical practicum hours. National PMHNP certification exams require a minimum of 500 clinical practicum hours.

Student Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the Post-Graduate Certificate: Pychiatric-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}

Program Completion

This certificate program is approximately 3-4 semesters in length depending on the candidate’s transfer credit. However, all students must successfully complete specialty track coursework, achieve 500 clinical practicum hours and maintain a 3.0 GPA to earn a program certificate.