Curriculum Plan - PMHNP

The post-master’s Doctor of Nursing Practice with Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner is designed for the registered nurse with a Master of Science in Nursing degree who is currently certified as an advanced practice nurse, such as nurse practitioner, clinical nurse specialist, nurse midwife, or nurse anesthetist. Graduates are prepared to meet the requirements to sit for the certification examination under the American Nurses Credentialing Center specific specialties and the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses examination for Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner.

Full-Time Curriculum Plan

Semester 1 – Fall

  • NUR 728: Theoretical Foundations for Advanced Nursing Practice, 3 hours
  • NUR 730: Transition to the Practice Doctorate, 2 hours
  • NUR 731: Clinical Epidemiology, 3 hours

Total semester credit hours: 8

Semester 2 – Spring

  • NUR 732: Population Health, 3 hours
  • NUR 733: Evidence Appraisal, 3 hours
  • NUR 734: Health Care Economics and Finance, 3 hours
  • NUR 739: Health Care Policy, 3 hours

Total semester credit hours: 12

Semester 3 – Summer

  • NUR 729: DNP Project Development, 1 hour
  • NUR 735: Informatics and Patient Care Technology, 3 hours
  • NUR 736: Outcomes Measurement and Program Evaluation, 3 hours

Total semester credit hours: 7

Semester 4 – Fall

  • NUR 738: Organizational and Systems Leadership (60 immersion hours), 3 hours
  • NUR 740A: DNP Immersion (60 immersion hours), 1 hour
  • DNP 780: Management of Psych-Mental Health I, 4 hours
  • DNP 783: Psych-Mental Health Practicum I (240 practicum hours), 4 hours

Total semester credit hours: 12

Semester 5 – Spring

  • NUR 740B: DNP Immersion (60 immersion hours), 1 hour
  • DNP 781: Management of Psych-Mental Health II, 2 hours
  • DNP 784: Psych-Mental Health Practicum II (240 practicum hours), 4 hours
  • DNP 787: Psychopharmacology, 3 hours

Total semester credit hours: 10

Semester 6 – Summer

  • DNP 779: Common Medical Conditions for the PMHNP, 1 hour
  • DNP 782: Management of Psych-Mental Health III, 3 hours
  • DNP 785: Psych-Mental Health Practicum III (300 practicum hours), 5 hours

Total semester credit hours: 9

Total course hours: 58
Total practicum hours: 780
Total immersion hours: 180
Total post-master’s practice hours: 960

For practicum courses, the ratio of credit hours to clinical practice is 1:4.