Program Overview

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Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) Certificate Program

The Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) certificate program is designed to meet the demand for psychiatric and mental health providers in the healthcare field. The program is delivered in an online learning environment, with the exception of clinical practice experiences that are offered under the direct supervision of an experienced provider.

Program Description

The PMHNP-PMC curriculum is congruent with national standards for graduate-level, advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) education and is consistent with nationally recognized population-focused NP educational standards and competencies. The program is designed to build on the foundation of the APRN Core and previous graduate-level coursework.

Admission Requirements

Admission to the Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner certificate program requires:

• Residence in Tennessee
• A current, unencumbered license to practice as a Registered Nurse in Tennessee
• A bachelor's degree in nursing with an overall GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale
• Successful completion of a 3-semester-hour or 4-quarter-hour undergraduate level statistics course
• TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) if needed
• An earned Master of Science (MSN) degree in Nursing from an accredited college or university

Application Procedures

Students are advised to contact the graduate program academic advisor in the School of Nursing before beginning the application process. Applications are due by October 1 for spring admission and February 1 for fall admission. Applicants must submit:

• Application with the appropriate application fee
• Official copies of transcripts including all universities attended
• An updated vita or resume
• A copy of R.N. license

Certificate Requirements

The post-master's certificate requires completion of 20 hours. Candidates must:

• Complete all graduate nursing courses with a grade of B or better
• Maintain current documentation within the School of Nursing document storage account
• Pass all specialty clinical courses

Curriculum

The curriculum includes:

Concentration (3 hours)

• NURS 6310 - Psychopharmacology

Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Courses (12 hours)

• NURS 6311 - Psychiatric Mental Health Diagnosis and Management I and Clinical
• NURS 6312 - Psychiatric Mental Health Diagnosis and Management II and Clinical

Specialty Intensive (5 hours)

• NURS 6313 - Psychiatric Mental Health Diagnosis and Management Intensive Clinical

Program Notes

Students may be required to take other prerequisite courses as deemed necessary by the SON Admissions Committee and program coordinator. Only two instances of course withdrawal are permitted without consequences in the program. Withdrawal from one or more courses in any given semester is considered one instance of withdrawal. Students with more than two withdrawals from the program will not be readmitted to the program.