Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Certificate

The Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Certificate at National University prepares advanced practice nurses to provide primary mental health care for individuals, groups, and populations across the lifespan. The certificate is designed for nurses who hold a Master of Science in Nursing, Doctor of Nursing Practice, or Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing and want to advance their knowledge, education, and skills for practice as a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner.

Students learn to assess, make diagnoses, and plan care for complex psychiatric and concomitant medical issues, including prescribing and managing psychopharmacologic agents. The program is delivered online and includes mandatory onsite components, plus a virtual program orientation. Students in the Family Nurse Practitioner and Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner specializations complete three to four scheduled Objective Structured Clinical Examinations over two days with skills review sessions, and practicum courses occur in faculty-approved in-person clinical settings with assigned preceptors.

• Candidates must hold a Master’s or doctoral degree in nursing from a nursing program that is programmatically accredited by an agency recognized by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN), or The NLN Commission for Nursing Education Accreditation (CNEA; or is nationally accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and/or the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) and meet the University requirements for graduate study.
• Candidates must reside in either CA or TX.
• Candidates must provide proof of a current, active and unencumbered RN license in the State of residence.
• Candidates must have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale (or equivalent, based on the grading scale approved at the calculating institution).
• Candidates must complete and submit the E-Resources Application.
• Prior to the start of specialization courses, candidates must provide evidence of current, active professional liability and malpractice insurance coverage throughout the program; evidence of specified immunizations; a report of a recent physical examination; a clear drug screen and background check; and current BLS certification.
• Candidates are required to meet with an Enrollment Advisor to review the process for applying to and acceptance into the Nursing program, including program of study, schedules of courses, and requirements for progression.
• Candidates must be proficient in operating a personal computer, including demonstrated competency in standard computer operating systems and electronic filing systems, basic keyboarding skills, organizing and sorting electronic documents; demonstrated knowledge of standard computer applications to include Microsoft Word and Excel; and familiarity with using internet browsers and standard email systems such as MS Outlook.

80 fully funded scholarships are listed for USA. See USA scholarships.