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The Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) specialization prepares advanced practice nurses to care for individuals and families with behavioral and mental problems. This specialty track within the MSN program prepares graduates to assess, diagnose, intervene (e.g., psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy), and provide follow-up to facilitate an ongoing level of wellness. The PMHNP is prepared to provide psychiatric and mental health care in a variety of treatment settings (e.g., hospitals, jails, home care, and outpatient clinics) and participate with other members of the health care team. With a shortage of mental health professionals and increasing demand for expert mental health care in rural health settings, the PMHNP’s scope of practice provides critically relevant skills to care for persons experiencing the full range of psychiatric and mental health problems.

Student learning outcomes:

1. Integrates scientific findings from nursing, biopsychosocial fields, genetics, public health, quality improvement, and organizational sciences for the continual improvement of nursing care across diverse settings.
2. Provide advanced, ethical, evidence-based nursing services for multi-cultural and ethnic individuals, families, aggregates, and select populations.
3. Apply patient-care and communication technologies to deliver, enhance, integrate, and coordinate care.
4. Collaborate with other professionals and members of the community to provide optimal health care to individuals, families, special populations, and communities with an emphasis on health promotion and disease prevention.
5. Respect diversity and address complex health care needs of persons, including the unserved and under-served populations and communities, in the role of nurse leader, educator and/or advanced practice nurse.
6. Participate in the ethical organization, management, and policy negotiations of health care delivery systems to use advocacy strategies to influence health and healthcare.
7. Participate in the application of safe patient care and quality healthcare practices.
8. Participate in the development of nursing as a science, through the use of theory, research, and scientific processes while acquiring a foundation for doctoral study.