How long does it take to become a psychiatric nurse practitioner?

When taking your MSN psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner program online,1 courses are either 8 or 16 weeks in length. The program requires a minimum of 53 credits for completion.

MSN: Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) Emphasis

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Degree Level

Master's

Class Setting

Online

Area of Study

Nursing

Program

MSN: Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner

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Country

United States

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Overview

Help Improve Patient Outcomes

The Master of Science in Nursing with an Emphasis in Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner program is designed to educate more healthcare professionals to help narrow the gap between mental health needs and a shortage of psychiatric care providers. This emphasis may be ideal for experienced nurses who are looking to gain the additional education needed for a career helping to support and treat those with psychiatric disorders and mental illnesses.

In this mental health psychiatric nurse practitioner program, you will work to understand the nurse practitioner (NP) scope of practice, as well as how to consult, assess and ultimately treat psychiatric disorders, while helping patients manage them long-term.

Master of Science in Nursing: Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner

Offered By

College of Nursing and Health Care Professions

Class Settings

Online

Tuition Rate

Online: $750 per credit [More Info]

Cost of Attendance

Course Information

Credits: 53

Campus: 8 weeks

Online: 16 weeks

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Transfer Credits

Up to 12 credits or 1/3 of the total program requirements in transfer (whichever is less)

Credits: Fill out the Lopes Eval to find out what will transfer

Admission Requirements

Admission Requirements (Master's)

Undergraduate Degree*
2.8+ GPA

OR 2.5+ Unweighted GPA and

GMAT: 500
GRE: 300 combined**

Admission requirements may differ based on degree level, program and modality, or transfer status. Some programs of study may require a higher GPA and/or other qualifying criteria for admission. Please review full admission and program requirements in the University Policy Handbook.
* Degree must be from an accredited college or program that has been approved by GCU.
** Combined verbal/quantitative, after August 2011 (1,000 combined verbal and quantitative, prior to August 2011).

Program available in Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina and Texas

Why GCU

Earn Your MS in Nursing From GCU

Along with our comprehensive MS nursing curriculum, opportunities for online collaboration and immersive, in-person learning experiences, our program is also grounded in a Christian perspective. By enrolling in this program, offered by the College of Nursing and Health Care Professions, you can dive into faith-enriched coursework, and become inspired to develop as an ethical practitioner and servant leader in your community.

Complete Your PMHNP Emphasis Online

GCU offers a PMHNP online MSN program for students who are looking for a more suitable option for them when completing their program.¹Online courses can provide convenience for adult learners with multiple priorities. You will have access to online learning resources, tools and support that can assist you in your studies.

Coursework

Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner Course Topics

In this MSN with an emphasis in psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner program, you will be taught numerous course topics that can prepare you for a career as a mental health nurse practitioner. This series of topics will teach you how to provide mental health care across the lifespan to a diverse set of patients in a variety of settings.

Course topics include:

Leadership and informatics

Translational research

Population health management

Psychiatric mental health foundations

Psychiatric mental health assessment and diagnostic reasoning

Psychiatric assessment, diagnosis and treatment

Integrative management and psychiatric disorders

Advanced Courses and Clinicals

You will also take several advanced courses, building on your previous working knowledge of the topic at hand to develop a deeper understanding of the course materials.

A total of 750 clinical hours are required for the MSN psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner emphasis program, which will be completed through several of your combined didactic and clinical courses. Some of your courses also include immersive on-campus experiences that will teach you advanced practice skills.

Careers

PMHNP Career Opportunities

The knowledge and skills you will have the opportunity to acquire in this program can provide you with the opportunity to set yourself up for potential career advancement. You may also gain a stronger, more diverse background in the field to be able to demonstrate the experience you need become a professional in the mental health field. As a graduate, you may have the opportunity to take on a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner position.

Accreditation

Graduate With Your Nursing Degree From an Accredited University

It’s important to consider the accreditation of a university in which you plan to invest time, effort and finances when enrolling in any program. Accreditation speaks to the quality of a university, demonstrating that you are completing an approved curriculum reviewed by an accrediting body. GCU has been institutionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission since 1968.

For more information on the accreditation of nursing programs and other university approvals, please visit our University Accreditation and Regulations page.

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

If you’re looking to advance your nursing studies to pursue a career as a mental health practitioner, read through some frequently asked questions to learn more about this field and about completing your MSN psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner programs online.¹

The path to this profession is a multi-step educational and professional pathway. You must first earn your Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree and pass the NCLEX-RN to become an RN. You will also need to gain clinical experience, preferably in the psychiatric or mental health nursing field. A graduate degree is then required, either an MSN or Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP), with a specialization in psychiatric-mental health nursing. You must obtain a psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner certification through the American Nurses Credentialing Center, followed by applying for state licensure as a psychiatric nurse practitioner.

PMHNPs diagnose and treat patients who are dealing with mental health concerns and also work to spread overall awareness about mental health. These professionals may work in private practice, specialty clinics or treatment centers, and often work with other health professionals. They can work with all populations and often educate patients and their families about mental health while trying to destigmatize it.²

Because mental health needs are prevalent in all industries, there are numerous settings in which psychiatric mental health nurse practitioners can work. Mental health practitioners may make an impact in a variety of healthcare settings, such as:

Private practice
Behavioral health clinics
Residential treatment centers
Public health
Correctional facilities

Courses

Course List

Credit Summary

Major53 credits

Degree Requirements53 credits

Core Courses

NUR-513A

4 Total Credits

Course Description

This course examines nursing theory and the role of ethics for advanced registered nurses within the Christian worldview and through a leadership perspective focused on improving health care outcomes. Learners explore the moral/ethical responsibilities and legal and regulatory obligations of advanced registered nurses in health promotion and disease prevention. Learners also review evidence-based practice (EBP) literature and the research process with application to their program of study and learn to navigate scholarly EBP literature, resources, and guidelines.

NUR-514A

4 Total Credits

Course Description

This course examines the role of leadership, organizational science, policy, and informatics in supporting safe, high-quality, cost-effective patient care within interprofessional, dynamic health care environments. Learners explore various organizational relationships within health care systems and prepare to participate in the design of cost-effective, innovative models of care delivery and practice change proposals. Professional leadership theories and how they shape the nurse leader in such things as collaboration, conflict resolution, decision-making, and negotiation are introduced. Learners discuss change management theories and evaluate the ethical, social, legal, economic, and political implications of practice change and health care informatics along with strategies for managing human, fiscal, and health care resources in a variety of organizational systems. Learners also examine the uses of patient-care, information systems, and communication technologies and discuss the design, implementation, and evaluation of electronic health record systems and clinical decision support systems. Prerequisite: NUR-513A.

NUR-550A

4 Total Credits

Course Description

In this course learners examine the process of scientific inquiry, knowledge generation, utilization, and dissemination of evidence into advanced nursing practice in order to propose quality-improvement initiatives that advance the delivery of safe, high-quality care for patient populations. Learners critically evaluate evidence, including scientific findings from the biopsychosocial fields, epidemiology, biostatistics, genetics, and genomics, and apply levels of evidence and theoretical frameworks to design culturally appropriate clinical prevention interventions and population-based care that reduces risks, prevents disease, and promotes health and well-being. Learners also consider strategies to evaluate health policy and advocacy issues, the state of health care delivery, patient-centered care, and ethical principles related to health beliefs, health promotion, and risk reduction for diverse populations. Learners apply these strategies to work towards recognizing gaps in nursing and health care knowledge, identifying potential solutions or innovations for those gaps, planning and implementing practice changes, and evaluating the outcomes in order to improve practice. Prerequisite: NUR-514A.

NUR-590A

4 Total Credits

Course Description

This course provides an opportunity for learners to complete their evidence-based practice (EBP) project proposal that addresses a problem, issue, or concern in their specialty area of professional practice. Learners previously identified a problem amenable to a research-based intervention, searched the literature, and proposed a solution. Now learners explore implementation considerations and various evaluation methodologies, complete the project proposal by developing a plan to implement the solution into the intended practice area, and design an evaluation plan that assesses the EBP project proposal's intended outcome(s). Prerequisite: NUR-550A.

NUR-631

4 Total Credits

Course Description

This course focuses on advanced physiology and pathophysiology principles across the life span. This course is used to guide the advanced nursing practice learner in understanding normal function and interpreting changes in normal function that result in symptoms and diagnostic markers indicative of illness. Emphasis is placed on the following systems: cellular environment and inflammatory changes; fluids, electrolytes and acid-base balance; genetics, genetic diseases, and the role of the environment; stress, disease, and the development of neoplasms; hematology and alterations in immunity. In addition, the physiology and pathophysiology of the endocrine, pulmonary, renal, digestive and integumentary, cardiovascular and lymphatic, musculoskeletal, reproductive, and neurological systems, including mood disorders, are addressed. Prerequisite: NUR-590 or NUR-590A.

NUR-635

4 Total Credits

Course Description

This course focuses on the basic concepts and principles of pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics and their practical implication in clinical practice across the life span. This course also places an emphasis on the strong influence of physiological variables (age, ethnicity, or pregnancy) and pathological conditions (hepatic or renal insufficiency, cardiac dysfunction) on drugs’ pharmacological response. An in-depth understanding of the relationship between patient’s physiological/pathological variables and pharmacodynamics/pharmacokinetics can provide additional insight for practitioners in predicting potential drug interactions, and thus will provide additional guidance in prescribing strategies. This course also includes clinical pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics; clinical toxicology; and pathology and pharmacotherapy of cardiovascular, psychiatric, endocrine, respiratory, gastrointestinal, bone and joint, infectious, reproductive, and dermatological disorders. Prerequisite: NUR-631.

NUR-634

4 Total Credits

Course Description

This course builds upon the learner's undergraduate and clinical assessment skills, offering advanced health assessment content to provide the foundation for the advanced practice nursing role across the life span. This course addresses the completion and interpretation of a head-to-toe assessment in addition to focused assessments for chief complaints that include physical, psychosocial, spiritual, risk, and functional assessments in diverse populations and across age groups. Learners learn a systematic method of diagnostic reasoning and clinical decision-making to establish differential diagnoses. Prerequisites: NUR-631, and either NUR-632, NUR-633, or NUR-635.

PMH-630

4 Total Credits

Course Description

This course covers evidence-based practice, research and the theoretical basis of care related to mental health disorders and mental health promotion across the life span. Emphasis is placed on development of the psychiatric mental health advanced practice role in patient-centered care to enhance the effectiveness of patient education, counseling, mental health care and recovery, mental health advocacy, and health promotion. Learners explore foundational concepts relevant to the scope of practice and role of the advanced psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner, neuroscience, advanced psychopharmacology, psychoeducation, psychotherapeutic principles and theories, cultural and spiritual competence and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). Learners examine professional and patient community resources and evaluate the use of integrative strategies in assisting patients to achieve health goals using evidence-based research and guidelines. This course includes a required 3-day on-campus immersion experience to provide advanced practice skills and lectures. Prerequisite: NUR-634.

PMH-630CE

0 Total Credits

Course Description

In this three day on-campus experience course, learners participate in lectures and simulation experiences related to the psychiatric mental health advanced practice role in patient-centered care to enhance the effectiveness of patient education, counseling, mental health care and recovery, mental health advocacy, and health promotion. Topics emphasized in this course are psychopharmacology, psychotherapy, and clinical psychiatric interview. Prerequisite: NUR-634.

PMH-652

7 Total Credits

Course Description

This combined didactic and clinical course focuses on evidenced-based practice related to various mental health disorders across the life span. Students will build upon concepts including neuroscience, advanced psychopharmacology, and psychotherapeutic principles of mental health disorders to provide safe and effective care. Emphasis is placed on critical thinking, mental health assessment and diagnostic reasoning to guide clinical decision-making that incorporates cultural and spiritual competence and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). Clinical practice affords learners the opportunity to develop their clinical decision-making skills in assessment, clinical diagnosis, and management of individuals with mental illness, including interprofessional collaboration with other health professionals and community agencies. Clinical hours: 250. Prerequisite: PMH-630.

PMH-654

7 Total Credits

Course Description

This combined didactic and clinical course focuses on the integrative management of evidenced-based practice related to various mental health disorders across the life span. Concepts include reinforcement of neuroscience, advanced psychopharmacology, and psychotherapeutic principles of mental health disorders to provide safe and effective care. Emphasis is placed on strengthening critical thinking, mental health assessment, and diagnostic reasoning to guide clinical decision-making and evidence-based treatment plans that incorporate cultural and spiritual competence and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). Clinical practice affords learners the opportunity to strengthen their clinical decision-making skills in assessment, clinical diagnosis, and integrative management of individuals with mental illness, including interprofessional collaboration with other health professionals and community agencies. Clinical hours: 250. Prerequisite: PMH-652.

PMH-656

7 Total Credits

Course Description

This final combined didactic and clinical course focuses on advanced integrative management of evidenced-based practice related to various mental health disorders across the life span. Syntheses of previous concepts, including neuroscience, advanced psychopharmacology, and psychotherapeutic modalities of mental health disorders, are applied to provide safe and effective care. Emphasis is placed on application of critical thinking, mental health assessment, and diagnostic reasoning to guide clinical decision-making and evidence-based treatment plans that incorporate cultural and spiritual competence and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). Clinical practice affords learners the opportunity to apply their clinical decision-making skills in assessment, clinical diagnosis, and advanced integrative management of individuals with mental illness, including interprofessional collaboration with other health professionals and community agencies. Transition-to-practice topics include contract negotiation, prescriptive authority, licensure, certification, and credentialing. Updates on current legislation, health policy and ethical issues that arise in clinical practice are incorporated. This course includes a required 2-day, on-campus immersion experience to provide advanced practice skills and lectures. Clinical hours: None. 250. Prerequisite: PMH-654. Co-Requisite: PMH-656CE.

PMH-656CE

0 Total Credits

Course Description

In this two day on-campus experience course, learners participate in lectures and advanced simulation experiences related to integrative management of evidenced-based practice related to various mental health disorders across the life span. Emphasis is placed on the application of critical thinking, mental health assessment, and diagnostic reasoning to guide clinical decision-making and evidence-based treatment plans. Clinical hours: 250. Prerequisite: PMH-654.

GCU cannot and will not promise job placement, a job, graduate school placement, transfer of GCU program credits to another institution, promotion, salary, or salary increase. Please see the Career Services Policy in the University Policy Handbook.
Please note that this list may contain programs and courses not presently offered, as availability may vary depending on class size, enrollment and other contributing factors. If you are interested in a program or course listed herein please first contact your University Counselor for the most current information regarding availability.
Please refer to the Academic Catalog for more information. Programs or courses subject to change

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Clinical, practicum and immersion hours completed locally
Psychology Jobs. (n.d.). PMHNP/Psych NP Jobs – Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner Career Guide. Retrieved Aug. 10, 2023.