Program Description
The Post-Master’s Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) Certificate program option is a 23-27 credit hour certificate program with 780 clinical practicum hours. This program provides MSN-prepared registered nurses (RNs) and nurse practitioners (NPs) access to a high quality education to serve a specific population of patients, families, and communities in rural settings. The Post-Master’s Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) Certificate program prepares advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) to be psychiatric mental health nurse practitioners for patients across the lifespan in acute and non-acute settings.
An individualized gap analysis will be performed for each student accepted. All LACE (licensure, accreditation, certification, education) essential elements and practice experience will be analyzed after admission to determine the student’s personalized plan of study. All advanced practice core courses must be listed separately on the student’s transcript(s) and taken as a part of an APRN program.
Admission to the PMHNP program is during the fall semester. All courses are fully online except those denoted as hybrid. Hybrid courses will require travel to campus no more than twice per semester; however, Post-Master’s PMHNP Certificate students will have the flexibility to complete hybrid requirements fully online via virtual, synchronous learning, if desired. Upon graduation from the program, PMHNP students are eligible to sit for the AANP and/or ANCC certification exams.
Curriculum
The Post-Master’s PMHNP Certificate plan of study for full-time students can be completed in four semesters. Advanced PMHNP clinical courses are taken in sequence. Students may develop a part-time plan of study with input from their faculty adviser.
Clinical Requirements
The Post-Master’s PMHNP Certificate program requires 780 precepted clinical hours in acute and non-acute settings. Preceptors are advanced practice nurses, physicians, physician assistants, licensed clinical social workers, and clinical psychologists with at least one year of experience in their chosen specialty area. The Graduate Nursing Handbook explains the process of selecting a preceptor and provides specific guidelines for each course.
Students are responsible to locate their own preceptors and schedule hours for each clinical course. Information on potential new preceptors is made available through the Student Graduate Nursing Site on Blackboard.
Students must be licensed and/or practicing in states included in the NLC Compact. States NOT included in the compact are: California, Illinois, Michigan, New York, Minnesota, Oregon, Washington, Nevada, Hawaii, & Alaska, US Virgin Islands, and American Samoa.
Admission Requirements
Admission requirements and deadlines are posted on the MSN Applications and Forms page. An MSN degree is required for admission.
Requirements upon Acceptance
Upon acceptance into the Post-Master’s PMHNP Certificate program, learners must provide documentation of the following onto our online documentation system from CastleBranch:
- Satisfactory criminal background check and drug screen
- Annual TB skin test
- Immunizations including Hepatitis B and Varicella
- American Heart Association (AHA) CPR Certification for healthcare providers
- Malpractice Insurance
- Active, unencumbered nursing license
Helpful Links
For More Information
For additional information regarding this program, please contact the Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Program Coordinator:
Dr. Tiffany Pressley, DNP, APRN, PMHNP-BC, CNE, CMSRN
Assistant Professor of Nursing
Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Program Coordinator
Email: tiffany.pressley@fmarion.edu
Office Phone: 843-661-4659