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Master's Degree

MSN-PMHNP Online Program
Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner

Program Length

24 Mo.

Credits

48

Format

Online

Dual Credit

DNP
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NEXT START January 6th

Waived Enrollment Fee

Enroll in the Herzing MSN-PMHNP program to go from BSN to PMHNP

AccreditationCCNE accredited,Accredited by the Higher Learning Commission
Transfer creditUp to 9 approved credit hours
Format100% online coursework
Clinicals540 clinical hours across the lifespan; we pledge your clinical placement
Immersion Exp.180-hour, 16-week immersion experience to prepare for your first job
PathwaysGraduate with an MSN and become qualified for our online Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program; or choose a BSN to DNP-PMHNP program
Dual creditEarn dual credit towards a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)
QuickPathsTransfer credit, stackable credentials, and adaptive learning technology build a faster pathway to a higher education with Herzing University

Learn More Today!

Classes start: January 6th

Ranked by U.S. News & World Report as one of the best online graduate nursing programs in 2024

Overview: Online MSN-PMHNP Program

The MSN-PMHNP degree (BSN to PMHNP) is a 48-credit graduate program which prepares you for a career as a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner. The degree program provides students with fundamental knowledge and skills in advanced psychopharmacology and health promotion, counseling and psychotherapy, clinical decision-making, and much more.

  • Career-focused curriculum

    Discover the crucial knowledge and skills required to succeed in your work and build a foundation for continued career growth.

  • Flexible schedule

    We work hard to help you maintain school-life balance, striving to be as flexible as possible for busy non-traditional students.

  • Virtual services

    Access to extensive virtual services, including academic advising, tutoring, support services, technical support and library services.

  • Lifelong support

    We support your ongoing career advancement by providing comprehensive, personalized student services with lifelong career coaching.

  • Rolling admissions

    No application deadlines to worry about. Apply when you’re ready and prepare to get started soon.

Clinicals

Every experience counts.

Herzing University integrates an “Every Experience Counts” experiential learning approach in the 540-hour clinical component of our PMHNP program. We believe the best preparation for an advanced practice role is real, prescriptive learning through every day experience.

Earn clinical credit hours for unique nursing experiences—either direct patient care in your community or telemedicine/virtual care. Examples of potentially eligible activities include:

  • Grief counseling for patients and families in hospice
  • Assistance with group therapy in a mental health institution
  • Providing mental health education to inmates in a correctional facility
  • Interviewing patients in a crisis stabilization unit
  • Assessment of psychiatric patients in the emergency room

If you discover an opportunity to further develop your skills as a PMHNP you may apply for credit towards your total clinical hours.

Build your career foundation from a variety of instructive and rewarding nursing experiences. Our program makes it possible.

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Your Clinical Placement is Our Pledge

We understand securing clinical placement as part of an MSN degree program is one of the biggest concerns students face. At Herzing, we offer guidance and support through our step-by-step Clinical Guidance Process to ensure you can get the clinical practice experiences you need. As a Herzing student, we’ll encourage you to find your own preceptor and clinical sites as there are many benefits to doing so. However, we provide extensive support should you find difficulty along the way. With Herzing, you are never on your own. Because of our strong relationships with healthcare providers across the U.S. and our comprehensive Clinical Guidance Process, we are confident in our ability to help you find clinical placement. So much so that if you are unable to find a clinical site on your own, we pledge to step in and help you secure clinical placement.*

*Subject to terms and conditions outlined in the enrollment documents.

Curriculum

Psychiatric Mental Health NP program classes & curriculum details

Herzing’s online graduate degree program provides students with the knowledge, skills and expertise to apply for certification as a PMHNP. The curriculum includes core MSN courses, specialty courses and hands-on clinical courses. Upon graduation you’ll be qualified for the Board Certified PMHNP (PMHNP-BC) exam from the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC).

The ability to connect with patients virtually to provide remote care is becoming increasingly important. Herzing’s curriculum provides instruction in the principles of telehealth, including the use of appropriate technology, provisions for coding and reimbursement, and the legal and ethical implications of remote patient encounters.

All classes are delivered online with 540 total hours of clinical experience, featuring a 180-hour immersion experience to help you prepare for your first job as a PMHNP.

ProgramMonths 2Credit
Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) in Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP)2448

Required Core Courses

All courses, 15.00 semester credit hours, are required.

This course takes an interdisciplinary approach to guide students in evaluating healthcare policy issues that impact decision making and outcomes in healthcare. Students will explore healthcare delivery systems and analyze issues which impact the delivery of healthcare and nursing at global, national, and state levels of government. Students will analyze the development, formulation, and implementation of policies and related economic issues that can influence healthcare practice today. In addition, the course includes topics such as the relationship between healthcare providers and patients, insurance policies, quality management, legislative liability issues, ethical decision making, and other policy issues.

This course focuses on the integration, translation, and application of established and evolving theoretical, evidence-based, and disciplinary nursing knowledge as the basis for clinical judgment and innovation in nursing practice. Students examine frameworks for knowledge and propose a practice application informed by leadership principals and ethical decision making.

This course will explore information and communication technologies and informatics processes used to provide care, gather data, drive decision making, and manage and improve the delivery of safe, high‐quality, and efficient healthcare services in accordance with best practice and professional and regulatory standards. Students will perform an information technology analysis of their practice and develop strategic planning to direct the selection and implementation of new information and communication technologies for their practice setting.

This course applies the principals of best practices, change theory, and improvement and implementation science to the development of innovative solutions for complex health systems to ensure optimal care. Course key concepts include organizational structure, including relationships among macro‐, meso‐, and microsystems across healthcare, and financial and payment models for cost management and reimbursement. Students will engage in a strategic planning initiative for a complex healthcare system which enhances value, access, quality, and cost‐effectiveness, including policy to address health equity and eliminate structural discrimination.

The course focuses on the application, evaluation, and dissemination of knowledge in practice to improve health and transform health care. The processes for the generation, critique, synthesis, and translation of knowledge will be examined. Students will complete human subject protection certification, determine best practices for a specified clinical initiative, and apply evidence to clinical decision making using a framework of evidence-based practice and improvement science.

Required Direct Care Courses

All courses, 9.00 semester credit hours, are required.

This course is an examination of the process of holistic assessment (physical, psychosocial, and cultural) of individuals across the lifespan. Focus is critical thinking and decision-making related to the role of the advanced practice nurse in a primary care setting.

The course examines scientific concepts of pathophysiology essential to diagnostic reasoning and clinical management of common disease states. The dilemma of cost and need for laboratory and radiographic evidence to support diagnosis is examined.

This course is designed to advance the student's knowledge of pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and pharmacotherapeutics in the management of health and disease states. Major categories of pharmacological agents are examined in the context of the life span, culture, and health and disease states. State and federal regulation related to purchase, possession, administration and patient education about controlled substances, pharmacologic agents and non-pharmacologic agents used as medications are examined.

Required Specialty Courses

All courses, 24.00 semester credit hours, are required.

This course provides scientific knowledge of psychopharmacology and its application to treatment of clients with psychiatric disorders across the lifespan. This course studies the advanced concepts related to neuroscience, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics of psychotropic drugs as well as applications of psychopharmacology in the treatment and management of disorders in mental health. Substance abuse is explored with context of mental health disorders.

This course is an examination of the processes applicable to clinical decision making across the life span with patients exhibiting psychiatric disorders. Models for clinical decision making in mental health will be presented. An overview of key assessments and the clinical activity categories that impact clinical decision making will be provided. Application of course concepts will be accomplished through engagement with hypothetical clinical scenarios in the mental health patients. 

This course examines the guiding principles and ethics of counseling and the therapeutic environment for mental health patients across the lifespan. Techniques of counseling are introduced and correlated with relationships. Students will demonstrate techniques in the clinical setting in therapeutic milieus. 

This course prepares students to assess, diagnose, and manage mental health care needs across the life span. Emphasis will be placed on underlying acute and chronic psychiatric/mental health diagnoses. Clinical opportunities will be utilized to all the PMHNP to apply concepts in primary and acute care settings with adults and families. 

This purpose of this course is to provide students further studies related psychiatric/mental health care management of patients across the life span to include underlying acute and chronic psychiatric/mental health disorders. Clinical opportunities will be utilized to apply concepts in primary and acute care settings with adults and families.

This course is an immersion experience into a mental health practice and the role of the Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner. 

This course focuses on proficient multidimensional leadership for healthcare. Leadership theory, managing change in complex environments, mentoring, and creating a workplace environment that promotes social justice and equity, self‐care, personal health, and well‐being, and lifelong learning will be emphasized. Student will examine their personal, professional, and leadership development process, and create a three-dimensional advocacy-based approach to provide leadership in for the healthcare, professional, and community arenas.

Clinical Proficiency Exam and Policy Courses

The following courses are 0.00 semester credit hours associated with the policy outlined above. Students are required to take as co-requisite courses along with NU 611, NU 642, NU 664 or NU 671, depending on the program of study. NSG 0600 - Clinical Proficiency Course Semester Credit Hours: 0.00 NSG 0600R - Clinical Proficiency Remediation Course (if needed) Semester Credit Hours: 0.00

Tution & Cost 

Tuition & Cost

The cost of tuition for the MSN-PMHNP program is $755 per credit.

You can potentially earn even greater savings by transferring credit from prior college coursework, applying for financial aid, or potential partnership opportunities through your employer.

Our goal is your career advancement. That's why we are always working to improve our curriculum and processes to make our program as affordable as possible while preparing you best for success in your work.

  • Scholarships & Financial Aid

    You may be eligible for multiple scholarships and grants—including our Nurses Circle of Achievement scholarship, which offers up to 10% tuition reduction.

    Find scholarships and grants  

  • Military/Veteran Discounts

    Veterans, Active Duty U.S. Servicemembers, and spouses may qualify for a 10% tuition discount or tuition reduction to $250 per credit.

    VA/Military benefits  

Herzing School of Nursing
Requirements

PMHNP program enrollment requirements

Enrollment prerequisites for the Herzing University MSN – Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner program include:

  • You must live in a state where Herzing University is authorized to offer the MSN-PMHNP program
  • Hold a current, active and unrestricted license as a registered nurse (RN) in the same state in which you live (Note: Holding a multi-state, compact state license and being a resident in a compact license state will be deemed to have met this requirement)
  • Hold a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree from an accredited university or college with an overall minimum GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale

Eligible states for enrollment: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and the District Of Columbia.

Classes Start: January 6th

Waived Enrollment Fee

Discover the educational pathway designed to maximize your career potential. Reach for greater heights with Herzing University.

Careers

Advance your career into a rewarding NP specialty

Herzing MSN-PMHNP graduate in lab coat Image
Image

Begin walking a new fulfilling career path and join a true profession of the heart. As a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, your job will be to help patients with mental illness become whole again.

PMHNPs have the expertise to diagnose and treat common psychological illnesses and disorders within their scope of practice, including anxiety, depression, insomnia and dementia.

  • Focus on mental health, including hands-on physical care
  • Perform psychological consulting (psychotherapy)
  • Prescribe medication and monitor its effects
  • Educate patients or clients on a variety of coping skills
  • Work in private practice, hospitals, community clinics, and more
  • Approach patient care like a detective, using all information at your disposal to solve complex psychological issues

Job Outlook

Multiple sources suggest the demand for PMHNPs will be on the rise in the near future.

Now is an excellent time to begin working towards joining a specialty poised for growth.

How can I advance my career? The hallmark of an excellent healthcare provider is their continuing education. After earning your master’s degree, you may consider earning further postgraduate credentials, including a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP). You may also consider applying for a BSN to DNP-PMHNP program as an alternative if your ultimate goal is to earn a DNP.

We also offer many post master's certificate options for nurses seeking additional education for their next career move, including specializations in Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP), Nursing Education, Nursing Leadership and Administration, and Adult Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner (AGPCNP).

Classes Start: January 6th

Waived Enrollment Fee

Discover the educational pathway designed to maximize your career potential. Reach for greater heights with Herzing University.

Faq

Frequently Asked Questions

Didn't find the answer to your question? Send us an inquiry and we will be happy to answer all your questions!

There is a difference between being licensed and certified. Becoming a certified PMHNP shows employers you are capable of patient care in a psychiatric setting. Licensure determines if you are legally allowed to practice in your state of residence. Employers may require board certification before hiring a PMHNP even if practicing without certification is legally permissible.

Each state has their own requirements for licensure. You will need to find the requirements from your state’s board of nursing.

We strongly recommend getting certified after graduating with your degree. You’ll be in the best position to find a great job and follow your career path in nursing.

While registered nurses with an ADN or BSN may pursue roles related to mental health and gain professional experience there, working as a nurse practitioner represents the next level of clinical knowledge and education.

To become a board certified psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner, you will need to earn at least a master’s degree from an accredited PMHNP program. View all of eligibility requirements from the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC).

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, nurse practitioners earn an average salary of $128,490 per year ($61.78 per hour).*

NPs specializing in psychiatry/mental health may increase their earning potential by becoming board certified, gaining valuable experience and continuing their education.

Learn more about how much NPs can make, including a state-by-state breakdown and estimates across several unique healthcare facilities.

Both of those common types of nurse practitioner specialties are highly rewarding and represent a big step forward for a registered nurse looking to advance their career.

  • Choose Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) if…you want to be a true psychiatric/mental health specialist, and enjoy giving a voice to patients who are too often misunderstood. An excellent pathway for nurses who have gained practical experience behavioral health or worked in a community mental health facility and want to continue in the psychiatric field.
  • Choose Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) if…you want to specialize in the broader field of family practice across the lifespan and prefer a hands-on approach to patient care. You may pursue many different specialties in neonatal (NICU), pediatric or geriatric care. As an FNP you’ll have a strong educational foundation to pursue your unique career path in family practice. Learn more about the Herzing University MSN – Family Nurse Practitioner program.

Learn more about the biggest differences between FNP vs. PMHNP.

The role of a PMHNP can overlap with psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers and other healthcare professionals who routinely perform psychotherapy. However, the total scope of practice for each role is different and varies by state requirements.

Psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioners hold a master’s degree or doctorate in nursing, while a psychiatrist is a physician who went to medical school and completed a residency program specializing in psychiatry.

PMNHPs can do many things a psychiatrist does, including psychotherapy, prescribing medications, developing and managing treatment plans and educating patients and their families.

Psychiatrists are typically able to treat more complex types of disorders, but PMNHPs may treat many common disorders like anxiety, depression, Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), Schizophrenia, substance abuse/addiction, and much more.

There is a significant difference between being a medical/surgical nurse and a psychiatric nurse. General nursing in a medical or surgical role is based primarily on physical illness, while psychiatric nursing is based on mental illness. As a psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner, your role will be much more verbal than hands-on.

Daily tasks include new patient evaluations and follow-up appointments, reviewing patient charts and lab results, monitoring and documenting medication, adjusting patient care strategies, responding promptly to patient questions and concerns, and working with additional healthcare staff to deliver the best possible psychiatric care.

Yes!

The National Center for Health Workforce Analysis estimates the demand for psychiatric nurse practitioners will rise 18% from 2016-2030.

In regard to all nurse practitioners, the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a 45% increase in employment from 2022-2032, much faster than the average across all U.S. occupations.*

A PMHNP is a type of Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) who holds expertise in behavioral health and wellness. Their role is to assess, diagnose and treat patients exhibiting psychiatric or addictive disorders. A PMHNP’s job description and scope of practice can include:

  • Provide psychological counseling (psychotherapy)
  • Prescribe medication and monitor its effects
  • Collaborate with additional health professionals: doctors/physicians, nurses, administrators and other healthcare staff
  • Conduct research to improve the delivery of mental healthcare
  • Educate and consult nurses and other mental health professionals
  • Order and interpret diagnostic tests

Whole health begins with mental health—including all ages and demographics across the lifespan. As a nurse practitioner within the mental health specialty, you will have the opportunity to continue your education and focus your experience in many different types of care, including pediatric, geriatric/adult, women’s health, public health and much more.

Where do they work? PMHNPs may work in many different healthcare environments, including hospitals, private practices, mental health centers, primary care offices or governmental institutions.

With Herzing University you are never alone. It’s our goal to provide all students an affordable, career-driven education. Financial aid options include:

You can find an estimate for tuition and expenses by using the Herzing University tuition wizard.

Locations

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Choose your NP pathway

Choose your NP pathway

Considering all of your options for nurse practitioner specialties?

Herzing University offers multiple nurse practitioner programs for current nurses holding an associate, bachelor's, or master's degree in nursing.

Our goal is to help you walk your career path no matter where you are, or where you want to go.

Explore Herzing NP programs

 

The Student Experience at Herzing

I’m excited for the next chapter of my life to begin!

Olivia Mckoy-Easy
Nursing Student | Online Campus

Future students, remember to be passionate, stay curious and never give up. That's the path to success!

Kalena Wainwright
Nursing Student | Online Campus

I chose Herzing because I wanted to help and be an advocate for those in need.

Kate Scanlan
Nursing Student | Online Campus

My experiences have shaped me into the healthcare provider I am today. Each obstacle and triumph has strengthened my resolve to advocate for others through patient-centered care.

Jami Van Brocklin
Nursing Student | Kenosha Campus

I am the first and only college graduate in my family and getting my degree is a goal I was not going to give up on, no matter what.

Kalena Wainwright
Nursing Student

Even at 44 with a family, I managed full-time school, clinicals, and weekend work, and emerged successfully!

Jami Van Brocklin
Nursing Student | Online Campus

Accreditation

Accreditation & Disclosures

1. The master's degree program in nursing at Herzing University - Madison is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (http://www.ccneaccreditation.org). Herzing University is approved to offer programs in an online learning modality through association with the main campus in Madison, Wisconsin.

Herzing University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (hlcommission.org), an institutional accreditation agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

View Herzing University Accreditation and Approvals

* Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics 2023 / Occupational Outlook Handbook 2022. BLS estimates do not represent entry-level wages and/or salaries. Multiple factors, including prior experience, age, geography market in which you want to work and degree field, will affect career outcomes and earnings. Herzing neither represents that its graduates will earn the average salaries calculated by BLS for a particular job nor guarantees that graduation from its program will result in a job, promotion, salary increase or other career growth.

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Classes Start: January 6th

Waived Enrollment Fee

Discover the educational pathway designed to maximize your career potential. Reach for greater heights with Herzing University.