What Youll Learn
South Colleges Master of Science in Nursing program with Concentration in Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner is a flexible and affordable way to work toward advancing your nursing knowledge. Innovative, challenging, and comprehensive, the MSN PMHNP program is designed to further develop the critical thinking and analytical skills needed in todays competitive and evolving healthcare environments. Core course focus on areas such as advanced pathophysiology, healthcare informatics, advanced pharmacology, advanced health assessment, and advanced research methods and evidence-based practice. Concentration courses include models of counseling and psychotherapy, psychiatric theory and assessment, and models of care across the lifespan.
Our blended approach to education combines cutting-edge online coursework with hands-on clinical practice experiences. And best of all, our hybrid format is designed to accommodate the schedules of working nursing professionals. The program is designed for completion in 21 months full-time.
Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioners provide assessment, diagnoses, and treatment to individuals or families with psychiatric disorders while also identifying related risk factors. PMHNPs are crucially aligned to contribute to policy development, improvement in quality of care, practice evaluation, and healthcare reform.
Why Get A Post
Earning a post-masters certificate can be an efficient way to earn a specialty certification as a nurse practitioner, especially if youre not interested in getting another graduate degree. After earning a post-masters certificate, many psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioners go on to open their own private practice. Others work within a network of mental health professionals in a counseling office. Other options include working in private or public healthcare systems, addiction rehabilitation centers, or hospitals for people with mental health issues.
Lets take a look at some of the pros and cons of taking this path.
How To Pick The Right Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner School For You
Its hard to know what the perfect school is for what youre looking for. While there are only a handful of institutions that offer a psychiatric nurse practitioner program, narrowing it down further will likely be based on different factors, including:
- Cost. Is the school within an affordable range? Will you have to move to attend school, and how expensive is the new city going to be? Do they offer financial aid?
- Location. Commuting to and from facilities where you get real-world experience is common for psychiatric NPs. This means you might have to move to a new area for school or work with the school to find clinical sites near your home and complete your coursework online.
- Program length. Depending on the program you study toward, you may have to plan to be in school for 2-4 years, and possibly even longer if youre working full-time and studying part-time. If you have to continue to work while youre in school, youll also want to verify that the program can be completed while you work.
- Accreditation. Accreditation is always something important to keep in mind before selecting any school or programnot only does it ensure that your school will properly prepare you for your certifying exams, but if you plan on applying for federal loans, you may get turned down if your school is not accredited.
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Doctor Of Medical Science
Online | 4 Tracks | 16-20 Months
Earn the clinical doctorate for physician assistants.
Lead, educate, specialize, and set yourself apart with the clinical doctorate designed for PAs by PAs. Specialize further in psychiatry, healthcare leadership and administration, healthcare professions education, or advanced clinical practice.
Master Of Science In Nursing

If you are pursuing a career in psychiatric mental health, you may be aware of the national need for mental health professionals. In fact, AUs graduate program in mental health is one of only two such programs in South Carolina. Our program is distinctive because it will prepare you both professionally and spiritually for the challenging and rewarding field of mental health.
Our professors are all practicing nurses, who view their work as more than a job its a mission field and a calling. In our Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner program, you will learn a holistic approach to patient care. You will learn to ask good questions, notice important aspects of patient appearance, and read body language to find the root cause of symptoms.
Our MSN programs enable you to start your program with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. Follow the link below to review the course sequence youll need to earn your degree.
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Doctor Of Philosophy In Health Sciences
Limited-Residency | 9 Tracks | 4 Years
Earn the preferred PhD for health professionals.
Earn your terminal research degree as you choose from 9 tracks ranging from orthopedic sports science to pediatric science to healthcare professions education. Our PhD promotes student-driven research and dissertations.
What Does A Pmhnp Do
Some of the duties that a PMHNP could take on include:
- Create healthcare plans, based on outpatient or home-based care for acute or chronic mental health care conditions
- Provide consultations
- Prescribe medications per their state laws
- Prescribe and offer various treatments, such as psychotherapy, medication therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, etc.
- Work alongside doctors for referrals and to provide patient care
- Participate and/or initiate research
- Education on mental health disorders
- Contribute to policy development, quality improvement, practice evaluation, and healthcare reform
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Detrek Browning Stayed True To Fmu And Became The Schools All
In an early January game against Clayton State, Detrek Browning waited calmly behind the three-point line while teammate Brandon Parker battled for a loose ball in the lane. Eventually, Parker swatted the ball towards Browning, who gathered it in, paused to set himself and casually flipped in a three-pointer that etched his name into a prominent place in the FMU record books. With that relatively unremarkable basket, Browning became something quite remarkable the leading career scorer in the schools almost 50-year-old history.
That the record-setter came on a routine play is not surprising. Brownings calling card as a player is his ability to score, seemingly without effort to make a unique ability to find ways to put ball basket appear quite ordinary.
What was remarkable about the play is that Browning was around to do it at all.
FMU Basketball standout Detrek Browning
The dynamics of college basketball at all levels have changed dramatically in the past decade. Players move regularly and easily from school to school, looking for the next bit of slightly greener grass and there is not much hard-working coaches and schools can do about it. Their path is fraught with peril.
After he averaged 20.1 points a game for FMU in 2015-16, officially his sophomore season, word got around to Browning. There were schools out there Division I schools who were interested. And Browning knew the drill. Friends, foes, even some of his teammates, had gone that route.
But?
Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner At Southern Miss
Advanced practice nurses are registered nurses who have gained advanced preparation for expanded clinical practice. Advanced practice nurses must be grounded in theory and utilize research and evidence as guides to their clinical practice. We have two options for the Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner at Southern Miss: BSN to DNP and Post-Graduate Certificate.
The baccalaureate degree program in nursing , Doctor of Nursing Practice program, and post-graduate APRN certificate program at The University of Southern Mississippi are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, 655 K Street NW, Suite 750, Washington, DC 20001, 202-887-6791, and the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning.
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Overview Of Pmhnp Certification
The road to becoming a PMHNP begins with the first four steps outlined in How to Become a Nurse Practitioner. Once you have decided to pursue your graduate degree in Psychiatric-Mental Health NP and looked into state licensure requirements , you can tackle national certification.
Before you can practice as a Psychiatric-Mental Health APRN, most State Nursing Boards will require you to earn the Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner credential from the American Nurses Credentialing Center . This was once known as the Family Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner credential, and youll still see active APRNs who have FPMHNP-BC initials after their name.
Solid RN to MSN PMHNP programs will help prepare you for the PMHNP-BC certification exam. Great ones will brag about their pass rates! For instance, Shenandoah University likes to boast that graduates of its PMHNP program have achieve a 100% pass rate over the past three years.
Online Family Nurse Practitioner Post Graduate Certificate
Providing direct advanced practice nursing services to patients across the lifespan takes specialized knowledge and highly tuned decision-making skills. At South University, the online Family Nurse Practitioner Post Graduate Certificate program can prepare you with the expertise you need to provide care for individuals and families in your community.
This post graduate certificate program is designed for nurses who already hold a masters degree that prepared them to practice in another advanced nursing role. The online Family Nurse Practitioner programs curriculum can be completed in as little as 16 months.
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Pmhnp Salary And Job Outlook
Psychiatric Nurse Practitioners are one of the highest-paying nurse practitioner specialties because they are a highly-specialized field.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Mental Health Nurse Practitioners make a mean annual salary of $126,200 with an average hourly wage of $60.67 as of May 2021.
Although most NPs work full-time, salaries will also vary based on the type of occupation, hours, and the state and city.
Nurse Practitioners, in general, have a higher-than-average job outlook and because psychiatric nursing is a field that is still growing in interest and awareness, its reasonable to expect that wages are going to gradually climb over the coming years.
Paying For The South University Online Fnp And Agpcnp Programs

South University charges $540 per quarter credit plus fees for the online MSN and Post-Masters Certificates. The RN to MSN Bridge program costs $215 per quarter credit for undergraduate courses and $540 per quarter credit for graduate courses plus fees. Interested students should inquire with the College of Nursing and Public Health at South University for total costs.
South University offers unsubsidized federal student loans to graduate students according to the FAFSA. Nursing students should also inquire with their employers as to a tuition reimbursement program. Additionally, South University nursing students may seek outside opportunities for funding including organizational, community, or religious scholarships and grants.
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Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Concentration Msn
Georgia College School of Nursing offers a number of options for BSN prepared nurses who are seeking to further their career. Our programs are offered in a fully online format with minimal face to face on campus requirements during the program. Students completing the MSN degree have opportunities encompassing management, administration, teaching, and advanced practice clinical positions throughout Georgia and the nation.
Our Master of Science in Nursing degree offers concentrations in Family Nurse Practitioner , Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner , Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner , Nurse Educator , and Nurse Midwifery. Post-Master’s certificates in these concentrations are also offered for MSN prepared nurses seeking certification.
All clinical rotations must be completed in Georgia with a preceptor that is approved by the School of Nursing . Students are assisted by the SON in securing their preceptors and arranging their clinical schedule.
Students must have computer access, preferably at home. All MSN majors are expected to be able to use Microsoft Office when submitting assignments. Graduate students should have proficiency with Microsoft Office, Internet, and email.
Students taking the Advanced Assessment course are required to be on the Milledgeville campus for Lab Immersion Week. This 45-hour hands-on intensive clinical instruction provides the advanced assessment skills foundation for all FNP, PMHNP, WHNP, Nurse Educator, and Nurse Midwifery students.
Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Concentration
This concentration provides graduates with advanced knowledge and skills to assume the role of a PMHNP. Assessment, diagnosis and treatment of adults, children and families across the lifespan with psychiatric mental health needs are the foci of the concentration. This concentration is offered as a Post Graduate Certificate of BSN-DNP.
The PMHNP Post Graduate Certificate requires a total of 22 credit hours and a 3-credit core course in Advanced Caring Science. The program of study is offered online. The curriculum contains a total of 600 hours of required clinical practice. Attainment of competencies may require more than 600 hours. Clinical placements may occur in acute care settings, private practice offices, substance treatment centers, community-based health centers, and other settings providing mental health care.
Graduates of the program are eligible for the Psychiatric Mental health Nurse Practitioner Certification Examination offered by the American Nurses Credentialing Center and the American Holistic Nursing Credentialing Corporation Advanced Holistic Nursing examination.
The application deadline for the Post Graduate certificate option for the fall 2022 cohort is February 15, 2022 and the application deadline for the BSN to DNP program is February 1, 2022 for summer applications.
- Public Health Facilities
- Private Practice
* High salaries. According to the U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median level for nurse practitioner was $113,930 per year in 2018.
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Caring For Patients And People
As a psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner, youll be a clinical expert providing mental health care to individuals, families, groups, and communities. Youll be trained to use an evidence-based approach to diagnose and treat a variety of mental health conditions through the provision of pharmacotherapy and psychotherapy. The focus of Mount Martys PMHNP program is to provide the academic knowledge and clinical skills necessary to provide mental health promotion, disease prevention, assessment, and management of psychiatric illness. Youll learn to not only provide advanced patient care but to also care for your patients with compassion, understanding, and a spirit of serviceas part of our Catholic Benedictine values. And clinical experiences in rural and underserved settings mean youll be able to provide primary care to those who need it most.
MMU NURSING MISSION
The mission of the Mount Marty University Nursing Programs is to provide students with an integrated education in a Catholic, Benedictine, liberal arts setting and to promote personal character development, holistic professional nursing expertise, and community service involvement.
Accelerated Msn Psychiatric Np Programs
Who is it right for? Those with anon-nursing bachelors degree
Many graduate nursing programs also allow you to enroll directly if you have your RN license and a bachelors in a non-nursing-related field.
Some schools may also accept non-nurses with bachelors degrees to fast-track them into a masters program by the end of the program, you will have earned your RN and be eligible to sit for the NP certifying exam as well.
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Meet Your Lead Faculty Dr Angie Powers
Angie Powers, DNP, CNP, PMHNP-BCPMHLead Faculty
Telephone: 843-792-2518
My name is Dr. Angie Powers and I am currently the lead PMHNP faculty. I have been involved in the development and growth of the PMHNP program and the PMHNP Certificate program at MUSC. I began my healthcare career in the Army in 1993 as a Combat Medic and Licensed Practice Nurse graduating from The Armys Nursing Program at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. I received a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of New England, ME, Master of Science in Nursing from Northeastern University, Boston. Board certified as a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner , completed a PMHNP residency at the VA Boston Healthcare System and completed a post graduate Doctorate in Nursing Practice at Northeastern University, Boston 2020. I actively serve in the Army Reserve as a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner in a Combat Stress Detachment and have multiple deployments that include Operational Iraqi Freedom, Humanitarian deployment to El Salvador in support of Task Force New Hope and an Urban Augmentation Task Force supporting hospitals treating Covid patients during the height of the pandemic. I am a Jonas Scholar, a member of the American Psychiatric Nursing Association, Sigma Theta Tau, and the Army Nurse Corps.
Psychiatric Assessment And Diagnosis
Learn to accurately assess psychiatric symptoms, from the history of present illness to a detailed mental status exam. Clarify the diagnosis and develop a detailed, evidence-based treatment plan. Focus on advanced psychiatric assessment, like mental status exams, psychiatric review of symptoms, psychopharmacology, and psychotherapy.
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Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Dnp
PMHNP -The Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner specialty track prepares the student to provide behavioral health care across the lifespan. Our innovative program ensures that you have a strong foundation in evidence-based practice while providing you with the skills to diagnose and treat both behavioral health and substance use disorders. PMHNP students learn to skillfully prescribe psychotropic medication and provide psychotherapy for patients with behavioral health diagnoses. You will engage in an interprofessional learning environment that enables you learn about telemedicine, primary care, substance use disorders and neuropsychiatric disorders. Upon completion, our graduates are eligible to sit for certification for the American Nurse Credentialing Center. Our board certification scores consistently exceed national benchmarks and our graduates are highly regarded for employment opportunities in inpatient and outpatient care settings, specialty settings and the school environment. View the 3 Year Plan of Study and the 4 Year Plan of Study.
Lifespan Psychiatric Mental Health

Apply knowledge of advanced health assessment, psychopathophysiology, psychopharmacotherapeutics, and psychotherapeutic modalities in clinical settings. Focus on children, adolescents, adults, older adults, and families. Learn differential diagnoses and treatment plans that include genetic, age, gender, and cultural influences, as well as laboratory findings and diagnostic studies. Effectively implement strategies and interventions.
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Aspire To Make A Difference
SDSU helps nurses exceed current standards of healthcare excellence. With exemplary training and job placement for our graduates, the Masters in Nursing offers several options for taking your nursing career to new, meaningful places.
The Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Specialization prepares graduates to provide high-quality mental health care in a variety of rural and urban settings. Graduates are eligible for ANCC Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner certification exam.
For more information please visit the Master of Science in Nursing page on the College of Nursing webpage.