This (BSN entry) 74-semester hour specialty track in the DNP program prepares graduates as psychiatric/mental health nurse practitioners at the doctoral level. Students complete a total of 600 clinical practicum hours across the lifespan supervised by qualified preceptors within a variety of mental health care settings. The additional clinical hours required to achieve the minimum 1,000 clinical hours (AACN) are completed during enrollment in the DNP project courses. A DNP project must be completed to fulfill degree requirements. The goal of the program is to prepare graduates with a doctoral degree who possess the knowledge and skills necessary to deliver psychiatric/mental health advanced practice nursing across the lifespan in various mental health care settings. Upon completion of the program, graduates are eligible to sit for the PMHNP specialty certification examination administered by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) or American Academy of Nurse Practitioners (AANP).
Admissions
- Applicants must have a BSN degree from a CNEA, ACEN, or CCNE accredited nursing program.
- Proof of a current unencumbered nursing license.
- A nursing grade point average of 3.0 based on a 4.0 scale.
*Applicants with deficiencies in the requirements will be evaluated on an individual basis.
Course List
| Code |
Title |
Hours |
| BIO 526 | Advanced Pathophysiology | 3.0 |
| ECO 605 | Health Care Economics & Finance | 3.0 |
| NUR 600 | Advanced Health Assessment | 3.0 |
| NUR 651 | Advanced Pharmacology I | 3.0 |
| NUR 680 | Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) Roles Roles | 3.0 |
| NUR 682 | Psychopharmacology and Neurophysiology for the PMHNP | 3.0 |
| NUR 684 | Advanced Psychiatric Interviewing and Differential Diagnosis | 3.0 |
| NUR 685 | PMHNP Continuum of Care Across the Lifespan and Practicum I | 6.0 |
| NUR 686 | PMHNP Continuum of Care Across the Lifespan and Practicum II | 6.0 |
| NUR 687 | PMHNP Sub-Specialty Focus and Practicum III | 4.0 |
| NUR 688 | Professional Aspects of the PMHNP | 2.0 |
| NUR 700 | Theoretical Foundations of Nursing Science | 3.0 |
| NUR 703 | Health Promotion in Populations | 3.0 |
| NUR 705 | Research Design and Statistical Methods | 3.0 |
| NUR 720 | Methods in Evidence Based Practice | 3.0 |
| NUR 735 | Leadership in Advance Nursing Practice | 3.0 |
| NUR 740 | Healthcare Policy and Ethics in Advanced Practice Nursing | 3.0 |
| NUR 752 | Advanced Health Informatics | 3.0 |
| NUR 840 | DNP Clinical Practice | 1.0-4.0 |
| NUR 841 | DNP Project I | 3.0 |
| NUR 842 | DNP Project II | 3.0 |
| NUR 843 | DNP Project III | 3.0 |
| NUR 844 | DNP Project IV | 3.0 |
| Total Hours | 73-76 |
Comprehensive Assessment
All students are required to take a comprehensive assessment prior to graduation.
DNP Project
All students in the DNP program are required to plan, implement, evaluate, and disseminate a DNP project. The DNP project is guided by evidence-based practice or quality improvement processes focused on system or population changes that positively influence healthcare outcomes through direct or indirect patient care.
