Post-Master’s Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Certificate Program (PMHNP)
The post-master’s Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) Certificate program is completely online and is for registered nurses with a master’s degree or higher who wish to expand into psychiatric-mental health advanced practice. Students complete 24 to 36 credit hours and 540 supervised clinical hours over four semesters. The program accepts students to begin the program in both winter and summer terms.
Applicants who are currently practicing in the NP role may submit transcripts and/or syllabi from the original NP program. Upon review, the university may waive DNP 630, DNP 656, DNP 654 and/or DNP 664.
Graduates of our certificate program are eligible to take the ANCC national certification exam for the Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP, family). This program does not lead to a Doctor of Nursing Practice Degree.
Our program develops clinicians who manage the care of patients and participate in system change, and who can identify best practices for the psychiatric and mental healthcare of the individual and family. Graduates will increase their contribution to healthcare by applying the knowledge and skills developed in this program.
The program of study includes the nurse practitioner (NP) core* (separate courses in advanced practice roles, advanced pathophysiology, advanced health assessment and advanced pharmacology). The PMHNP specialty courses include content in advanced psychopharmacology and the theory and practice of psychotherapeutic modalities. The PMHNP Certificate curriculum also covers health promotion, differential diagnosis, and disease management/prevention across the lifespan.
Important Dates
Academic Model
Program of Study
Semester 1:
DNP 630* Advanced Practice Roles (3 credits)
DNP 656* Advanced Pathophysiology (3 credits)
PMH 682 Psychopharmacology (3 credits)
Semester 3:
DNP 664* Advanced Pharmacology I (3 credits)
PMH 712 Specialty Focus II: Children, Adolescents, Families (6 credits, 180 clinical hours)
Semester 2:
DNP 654* Advanced Health Assessment (3 credits)
PMH 692 Psychotherapeutic Assessment & Practice (3 credits)
PMH 694 Specialty Focus I: Adult & Older Adult (6 credits, 180 clinical hours)
Semester 4:
PMH 734 Specialty Focus III: Setting & Population-Based Care (6 credits, 180 clinical hours)
*NP core course
RMUoHP PMHNP Certificate Program Highlights
PMHNP Program
Our program develops clinicians who manage the care of patients and participate in system change. This is done by identifying best practices in the psychiatric and mental healthcare of the individual and family. Graduates will increase their contribution to healthcare through the knowledge and skills developed in this program.
The program of study includes courses in advanced psychopharmacology and theory and practice of psychotherapeutic modalities. The PMHNP Certificate program also contains content in health promotion, differential diagnosis, and disease management and prevention across the lifespan.
Educational ModelInstruction in the PMHNP program will be delivered through the learning management system (LMS). Instruction delivered 14 weeks of each semester using asynchronous online methods. This program is 100% online.
National CertificationGraduates will be eligible to take the national certification exam and apply for licensure in advanced practice nursing as a PMH Nurse Practitioner. This program does not lead to a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree.
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CCNE ACCREDITED
The Doctor of Nursing Practice programs and post-graduate APRN certificate programs at Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, 655 K Street, NW, Suite 750, Washington, DC 20001, 202-887-6791.(http://www.ccneaccreditation.org).
UNIVERSITY ACCREDITATION
Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (8060 165th Avenue NE Ste 100, Redmond, WA 98052-3981), an institutional accrediting body recognized by the Secretary of the US Department of Education.
Take the first step toward your PMHNP certificate
Are you looking to expand your career opportunities in the field of nursing and become a leader in psychiatric mental health? If so, applying to Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions’s PMH certificate program is the best way to begin.
We invite you to explore the program materials on our website, contact the program director, schedule a meeting with a program advisor who can help you decide whether RMUoHP’s online psychiatric mental health practitioner certificate program is right for you. We are here to help you every step of the way as you make this exciting decision.
Nursing Pathways
RMUoHP hopes to help current, and future nurses visualize how to move forward with their educational and professional goals. The Nursing Degrees Pathway diagram illustrates the variety of nursing degree and career pathways available to nurses. It is our goal to make the process as less stressful so future and current nurses will be able to see the options that they have in their current position but also where they can end up.
We are committed to the development
of family nursing professionals who can:
Provide Psychiatric and Mental Healthcare in a Variety of Settings
Assess, diagnose, and manage common acute and chronic primary healthcare problems of individuals and families.
Provide Competent Patient Care
Identify the epidemiologic roots of health problems affecting family/community systems and evaluate the impact of environmental stressors on individual, family and community health.
Demonstrate Analytical Skills
Use sophisticated research and evidence-based thinking to evaluate clinical practice and adapt patient care as necessary.
Collaborate with Teams to Improve Processes
Work with colleagues across healthcare disciplines to improve clinical care for different populations of clientsand those in settings unique to mental healthcare.
Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Certificate Program Faculty
Kevin D. Ballard, DNP, FNP, FAANP
Kelly Conway, DNP, CNS
Kristen Cox, DNP, ACNP-BC
Kristina Davis
Beth Frazier
Josh Hamilton, DNP, RN-BC, FNP-C, PMHNP-BC, CNE, FAANP
Stacey Pfenning DNP, APRN, FNP
Collete Renstrom, DNP, APRN, FNP-BC
