Post-Master's PMHNP Certificate

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.

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.

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, and caring for diverse populations. 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.

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.

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.