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Master of Science in Nursing Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Program

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Program Description

The Master of Science in Nursing Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (MSN PMHNP) Program is designed for learners who already hold a bachelor’s degree in nursing and prepares graduates to become Advanced Practice Registered Nurses with specific emphasis on the role of the Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner. The MSN PMHNP content is grounded in the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) Essentials of Master’s Education in Nursing and evidence based on national standards and research related to current practice, education, legislative, and research trends in healthcare and local needs along with various guiding principles, documents, and regulations set forth by the: 

  • American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) Standards of Master’s Education (2011)  
  • Criteria for the Evaluation of Nurse Practitioner Programs (5th ed.). A Report of the National Task Force (NTF) on Quality Nurse Practitioner Education (2016) 
  • The National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties Nurse Practitioner Core Competencies (NONPF, 2017) 
  • Population-Focused Nurse Practitioner Competencies (2013) 
  • Quality and Safety in Nursing Education (QSEN) Competencies: Graduate KSA’s (2012) 

The curriculum is designed to prepare nurses who complete the Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner track for the Advanced Practice Registered Nurse role by expanding their nursing body of knowledge and skills in a role and specified population foci. Learners in the Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner track will develop advanced knowledge and skills in assessment (including differential diagnosing), intervention (including prescribing), and management within the construct of the psychiatric-mental health patient-provider relationship and patient-centered care across the lifespan. The learner will be prepared to function as an effective member of the interdisciplinary healthcare team and to provide consultation, collaborative management, and/or referral. The curriculum will prepare the learner to be eligible to become certified in their population foci. The curriculum addresses advanced practice psychiatric-mental health scope of practice concepts in the Role of the Advanced Practice Nurse course, and concepts are reinforced throughout the Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner specialty courses and applied in all practicum learning experiences. The graduate core courses will provide foundational knowledge and skills for the Advanced Practice Registered Nurse role. These courses also include Advanced Pathophysiology Across the Lifespan; Advanced Pharmacology Across the Lifespan; and Advanced Assessment Across the Lifespan. Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner learners will be expected to demonstrate skills in psychiatric-mental health differential diagnosis and disease management. Learners will be prepared to be granted prescriptive authority, if applicable, in their state of licensure. The curriculum meets certification eligibility requirements for the ANCC Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner examination. After the achievement of the Advanced Practice Registered Nurse certification, graduates will be able to apply for an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse license.  

A total of fifty-five (55) semester credits consisting of different combinations of courses: core, integrative core, specialty, and clinical are required for the conferral of the MSN degree. Thirty-seven (37) credit hours will be dedicated to didactic theory learning, and eighteen (18) credit hours will be dedicated to clinical learning experiences. Learners can complete the MSN PMHNP program in six (6) academic semesters or ninety-six (96) academic weeks of instruction.  

The MSN PMHNP Program utilizes full-distance delivery of instruction, where learners engage in online didactic and clinical learning experiences within the realms of advanced practice psychiatric-mental health nursing including health promotion, disease prevention, leadership, policy, ethics, pharmacology, and pathophysiology. The curriculum addresses the scope of practice concepts in the Role of the Advanced Practice Nurse course, and concepts are reinforced throughout the Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner specialty courses and applied in all practicum learning experiences. The curriculum is expected to prepare nurses who complete the Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner track for the Advanced Practice Registered Nurse role by expanding their nursing body of knowledge and skills in a role and specified population foci.  Upon satisfactory completion of the prescribed MSN PMHNP Program curriculum with a minimum 3.0 GPA and the fulfillment of other graduation requirements, the learner will earn a Master of Science in Nursing – Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (MSN PMHNP) Degree. 

Note: The Program only enrolls residents in states where it is fully authorized. If a learner enrolls in the Program and subsequently moves to a state where the Program is not authorized, he/she will not be able to continue being enrolled until such authorization is obtained. Learners must notify the Program immediately upon relocation. 

Program Objectives

  1. To build professional advanced practice nursing capacity based on evidence and theory with an appreciation of the uniqueness of each individual and family, diversity, and the multidimensional aspects of health.  
  2. To build ethical and value-centered advanced practice nursing that enhances personal and professional growth and development, fosters clinical reasoning and problem-solving, and supports engaging collaboration within communities and populations.  
  3. To build advanced practice nursing leadership capacity to address challenges and advance the science of advanced nursing practice.  
  4. To build professional and research capacity to meet the primary health care needs of diverse communities and populations.

Program Outcomes

MSN PMHNP Program Outcomes are aligned with the Institutional Effectiveness Plan and measure the degree to which the Program achieves its stated mission. For current MSN PMHNP Program Outcomes benchmarks, see the MSN PMHNP Program Outcomes Benchmarks Catalog Insert. 

Program-Level Learner Outcomes

The MSN PMHNP Program, in alignment with the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) The Essentials: Core Competencies for Professional Nursing Education, has identified program outcomes, including program-level learner outcomes and competencies, alumni outcomes, and faculty outcomes to evaluate Nightingale College’s MSN PMHNP Program effectiveness. The learner outcomes include program completion and employment rates, achievement of Nightingale College’s graduate general education goals, achievement of expected learner outcomes, satisfaction with courses and instruction, and satisfaction with overall program effectiveness. 

At Program completion, as measured by evaluation activities throughout the Program, the graduate will: 

  

  1. Integrate evidence-based findings from research in the humanities and sciences, while synthesizing the holistic nature of advanced practice nursing and diagnostic reasoning to build quality and safe patient care across diverse settings and enhance patient, healthcare, and organizational outcomes. 
  2. Engage in leadership, scholarship, and change agent activities that promote collaboration and communication among interdisciplinary team members and community stakeholders. 
  3. Evaluate and utilize best evidence to improve quality, safety, and access in clinical practice. 
  4. Integrate clinical guidelines, research, clinical judgment, and interdisciplinary perspectives using translational processes to improve practice, health, and organizational outcomes.  
  5. Incorporate information technology when interacting and collaborating with patients, families, and interdisciplinary team members for improved health care delivery processes and outcomes.  
  6. Implement knowledge of organizational policies and complex systems to influence the delivery, cost, and quality of healthcare services. 
  7. Facilitate the development of health care systems while addressing the complex issues concerning the care of individuals, populations, and stakeholders.
  8. Integrate ethical principles while evaluating the impact of legal, social, political, economic, and ethical issues and their influence on the provision and management of patient care services.
  9. Provide patient-centered and evidence-based care while functioning as an independent practitioner. 

Core Competencies

  1. Client-Centered Care 
  2. Intentional Learning with Reflection 
  3. Evidence-Based Practice 
  4. Decision-Making and Clinical Reasoning 
  5. Organizational, Local, and Global Leadership 
  6. Communication and Informatics 
  7. Quality and Safety Assurance 
  8. Teamwork and Collaboration 

Requirements and Procedures

All applicants work closely with an Admissions Advisor to assess career goals, motivation, and commitment to learning. 

To be considered for admission, an applicant must meet the following requirements: 
 

  1. Pay the $80 non-refundable application fee (the application fee is waived for all Nightingale College’s pre-licensure programs graduates and active-duty members of the U.S. Uniformed Services).
  2. Complete Application for Admissions (the Application and the paid fee are valid for one (1) year).
  3. Submit official transcripts from each post-secondary institution attended. The institution(s) must send the transcripts directly to Nightingale College. Applicants must hold a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree from an institution of higher learning accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education or Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) with a minimum 3.0 GPA earned on a 4.0 scale.
    • Applicants with an undergraduate cumulative GPA of 2.7 to 2.99 may be considered for admission on probation but must achieve a B (3.0) or better in the first eleven (11) credits of the program to be removed from probation.
  4. Submit proof of a current active unencumbered registered nurse (RN) licensure from any U.S. jurisdiction. Learners are expected to maintain an active and unencumbered RN license throughout the program of study.
    • Applicants educated within the United States who hold a U.S. RN License must submit the following:
      1. A copy of their active and unencumbered U.S. RN license.
    • Applicants educated outside of the United States who hold a U.S. RN license must submit the following:
      1. A copy of their active and unencumbered U.S. RN license.
      2. An Academic Report from a National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES) member organization, an organization recognized by the U.S. Department of Education or the Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS) certificate stating that the learner’s nursing education is comparable to that obtained by a graduate of a U.S. Bachelor of Science nursing program with a minimum GPA of 3.0 on 4.0 scale.
  1. Submit a resume or curriculum vitae.

    • One year of experience working as a Registered Nurse is required.
    • Must have actively worked as an RN within the last two years.

  2. Submit Personal Statement of Interest.
  3. Submit two (2) letters of recommendation from most recent employer (supervisor) and from a professor who can address the applicant’s clinical expertise and academic preparation for the program.
  4. Participate in an PMHNP Program interview.
  5. Meet with a Financial Aid Advisor to initiate the Financial Aid process.

Note: Nightingale College is committed to ensuring the highest level of academic integrity throughout the admissions process. Violations of the academic integrity policy at any point in the admissions process will result in automatic denial of admission. See the Academic Integrity section of the College Catalog for more details. 

Tuition and Fees

Tuition for the MSN PMHNP Program is $550 per semester credit. Tuition does not include the non-refundable application fee or any semester resource fees. The College reserves the right to change its tuition and fees at any time with a 30-day notice. 

Item 

Fee 

Resource Fee per Semester

$750 

 

Nightingale College Alumni Tuition Reduction 
A tuition reduction of $50 per semester credit will be applied to the accounts of the College’s baccalaureate degree graduates at the time tuition is charged. The Nightingale College Alumni Tuition Reduction is not applicable to repeat coursework. 

Estimated Total Program Cost 
The estimated total program cost is $34,750. Learners may use this calculator to get a customized estimate of the total program cost.

Curriculum Plan

The Essentials: Core Competencies for Professional Nursing Education provides a framework for preparing individuals as members of the discipline of nursing, reflecting expectations across the trajectory of nursing education and applied experience (AACN, 2021). Because professional nursing practice in all settings requires consideration of the individual, family, community, and population as a client, these outcomes are essential to the master’s nursing education offered by Nightingale College.                                              

The MSN PMHNP Program consists of thirty (30) graduate-division nursing courses delivered over six (6) academic semesters and ninety-six (96) academic weeks, for a total of fifty-five (55) semester credits. There are five hundred and forty-seven point five (547.5) didactic, twenty-two point five (22.5) applied field experience, and eight hundred and ten (810) integrative clinical contact hours total. A sample curriculum layout is presented in the table below. 

Sample Curriculum Plan

Course Number Course Name Delivery Modality Semester Credits Didactic Learning Remote Experiential Learning Total
  CBT ISBP VCBP ISB VCBC DFC IP AFE  
Semester 1
MSN 580 Role of the Advanced Practice Nurse Distance 3 45               45
MSN 582 Advanced Pharmacology Across the Lifespan Distance 4 60               60
MSN 584 Advanced Pathophysiology Across the Lifespan Distance 4 60               60
Total 11 165 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 165
Semester 2
MSN 586 Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Across the Lifespan Distance 2 30               30
MSN 588 Advanced Assessment Across the Lifespan Distance 4 52.5             22.5 75
MSN 590 Health Policy, Legislation, Economics and Ethics Distance 3 45               45
Total 9 127.5 0 0 0 0 0 0 22.5 150
Semester 3
MSN 592 Evidence-Based Practice Distance 3 45               45
MSN 597 Advanced PMHNP Care Across the Lifespan I Distance 3 45               45
MSN 631* Advanced Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Care Across the Lifespan Practicum 1  Blended 1             45   45
MSN 632* Advanced Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Care Across the Lifespan Practicum 2  Blended 1             45   45
MSN 633* Advanced Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Care Across the Lifespan Practicum 3  Blended 1             45   45
MSN 634* Advanced Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Care Across the Lifespan Practicum 4  Blended 1             45   45
Total 10 90 0 0 0 0 0 180 0 270
Semester 4
MSN 598 Health Informatics for the Advanced Practice Nurse Distance 3 45               45
MSN 630 Advanced Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Care Across the Lifespan II Distance 3 45               45
MSN 635* Advanced Family Health in Primary Care Settings Practicum 5 Blended 1             45   45
MSN 636* Advanced Family Health in Primary Care Settings Practicum 6 Blended 1             45   45
MSN 637* Advanced Family Health in Primary Care Settings Practicum 7 Blended 1             45   45
MSN 638* Advanced Family Health in Primary Care Settings Practicum 8 Blended 1             45   45
Total 10 90 0 0 0 0 0 180 0 270
Semester 5
MSN 650 Advanced Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Care Across the Lifespan III  Distance 3 45               45
MSN 639* Advanced Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Care Across the Lifespan Practicum 9  Blended 1             45   45
MSN 641* Advanced Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Care Across the Lifespan Practicum 10  Blended 1             45   45
MSN 642* Advanced Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Care Across the Lifespan Practicum 11  Blended 1             45   45
MSN 643* Advanced Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Care Across the Lifespan Practicum 12  Blended 1             45   45
Total 7 45 0 0 0 0 0 180 0 225
Semester 6
MSN 690 Advanced PMHNP Care Across the Lifespan IV Distance 2 30               30
MSN 644* Advanced Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Care Across the Lifespan Practicum 13  Blended 1             45   45
MSN 646* Advanced Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Care Across the Lifespan Practicum 14  Blended 1             45   45
MSN 647* Advanced Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Care Across the Lifespan Practicum 15  Blended 1             45   45
MSN 648* Advanced Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Care Across the Lifespan Practicum 16  Blended 1             45   45
MSN 649* Advanced Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Care Across the Lifespan Practicum 17  Blended 1             45   45
MSN 651* Advanced Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Care Across the Lifespan Practicum 18  Blended 1             45   45
Total 8 30 0 0 0 0 0 270 0 300
MSN FNP Program Total 55 547.5 0 0 0 0 0 810 22.5 1,380

 

Satisfactory Academic Progress Table

Total Credits Attempted 

Financial Aid Warning or Probation if CGPA is below 

Financial Aid Warning or Probation if course completion rate is below 

1-8 

3.0 

67% 

9-16 

3.0 

67% 

17-24 

3.0 

67% 

25-32 

3.0 

67% 

33-40 

3.0 

67% 

41-49 

3.0 

67% 

50-58 

3.0 

67% 

 

 

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