Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Certificate

Program Overview

La Salle University's Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Certificate prepares nurses with a Master's degree to provide comprehensive mental health services across the lifespan. The program emphasizes prevention, diagnosis, and management of mental illnesses, and graduates are eligible for certification and employment as Advanced Practice Registered Nurses with prescriptive authority. Offered in a hybrid format, the program combines online and on-campus components.

Program Outline

La Salle University - Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Certificate

Degree Overview:

• Prepares students to provide a full range of mental health services to clients across the lifespan.
• Available for nurses who hold a Master of Science in Nursing degree.
• Emphasizes prevention, diagnosis, and management of both acute episodic and chronic mental illnesses.
• Graduates are eligible to take the Psychiatric National Certification Exam and seek state certification and employment as an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse with prescriptive authority.

Outline:

Highlighted Courses:

• NUR 627 Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Role I: Introduces the roles and responsibilities of the PMHNP, legal and ethical guidelines, therapeutic communication, and conducting comprehensive psychiatric assessments.
• NUR 628 Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Role II: Focuses on treatment models, prevention, intervention, and psychoeducation for selected acute and chronic psychiatric conditions.
Covers legal and ethical guidelines for advanced practice, including vulnerable populations, co-occurring psychiatric and physical disorders, and neurocognitive disorders.

Teaching:

• The program is offered in a hybrid format, combining online and on-campus components.

Careers:

• Graduates can pursue careers as Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioners in various settings, including inpatient, outpatient, and community residential settings.
• The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics states that, on average, nurse practitioners earn around $118,000 a year.

Other:

• La Salle's Nursing program is fully accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE).
• Students can access the Graduate Nursing, Certificate, and RN to BSN Programs Student Handbook for more information.