John R. and Kathy R. Hairston College of Health and Human Sciences
BSN to DNP Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
The BSN to DNP Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) program comprises 70 credit hours to prepare nurses for entry into advanced practice. The curriculum is designed for students who hold a bachelor’s (or higher) degree in nursing and would like to pursue an advanced nursing practice role as a PMHNP. This program requires a minimum of 1,040 clinical hours (including 750 direct patient hours and 290 indirect clinical hours) and the completion of a DNP quality improvement project. Graduates of the BSN-DNP PMHNP program must also pass the AANC Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Board Certification Examination to practice as a psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner in the United States. The patient population of focus for the PMHNP includes adolescents, adults, elders, and the family. Our PMHNP graduates practice in both clinical settings and community settings and will be committed to underserved populations.
Students in the PMHNP program work collaboratively with interprofessional teams in a variety of settings, such as health departments, clinics, schools, professional organizations, acute-care facilities, and long-term care organizations. Our program is offered in a hybrid format with the majority of classroom work being completed online.
Students must hold an active registered nurse licensure in North Carolina (or a compact state). Additionally, the students can complete an optional specialty concentration from the following two options: Emerging Technological Innovations, or Health Equity and Social Justice.
