Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Postgraduate Certificate

Description and Outcomes

The Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Postgraduate Certificate is designed for master’s prepared nurses who want to obtain further knowledge to provide comprehensive psychiatric mental health care through the assessment, diagnosis, treatment, and management of psychiatric mental health disorders, medical organic brain disorders, substance abuse problems, and complex co-occurring disease processes and disorders across the lifespan. Graduates may expect to practice in acute care and primary care settings in hospitals, community mental health centers, home health care, partial hospital care, residential settings, prisons, or private practices as well as in collaborative practices with other specialties. Psychiatric mental health nurse practitioners function within the interprofessional acute care or primary care team providing direct care management including diagnosis, treatment planning, conducting therapy, prescribing psychotropic medications, and providing emergency psychiatric services.

Note: the Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Postgraduate Certificate program is not available in all states. Refer to Program Availability Information details. Prospective and current students must review Purdue Global’s State Licensure and Certifications site to view program and state-specific licensure information.

Clinical Practice Experience

You will complete a clinical practice experience designed to provide the opportunity for application of theoretical knowledge while working with a designated, qualified preceptor. You will have required immersive learning experiences which are embedded in specific courses.

Refer to the School of Nursing’s Progression Requirements section for additional requirements for clinical and practicum experiences.

Program Length

The Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Postgraduate Certificate program consists of a minimum of 48 quarter credit hours. Upon successful completion of this program, you will be awarded a certificate.

Program Outcomes

  1. Demonstrate, through synthesis of theoretical and scientific knowledge, the safe, effective practice of psychiatric mental health care through management of both health and illness states.
  2. Collaborate with the individual and other health care professionals for the purpose of ensuring high-quality, holistic psychiatric mental health care services.
  3. Demonstrate the role of a nurse practitioner as a health educator and coach to individuals, families, and communities using a wide range of skills.
  4. Demonstrate commitment to the implementation, preservation, and evolution of the psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner role.
  5. Incorporate critical thinking, collaboration, and interdisciplinary relationships into client care to achieve optimal outcomes.
  6. Serve as an advocate for clients as they interface with the health care system.
  7. Demonstrate a commitment to ensuring quality of care through consultation, collaboration, continuing education, certification, and self-reflection.
  8. Provide culturally sensitive care in a holistic manner that is responsive to clients’ cultural and spiritual beliefs.

Program Availability

For program availability, please refer to the U.S. State and Other Approvals section and Program Availability Information.

Policies

Admissions Requirements

You must meet the below admissions requirements in addition to Purdue Global's general requirements.

You must have an approved criminal background check. The criminal background check must not contain information that would prohibit you from being licensed as an advanced practice registered nurse and/or being granted prescriptive authority under your state’s Nurse Practice Act.

You must have a master's degree with an upper-level major in nursing and a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or higher from an accredited institution. Refer to the Admissions Requirements for more information on prior degree submission.

If your master’s degree nursing focus is in one of the four advanced practice registered nurse roles (nurse midwife, registered nurse anesthetist, clinical nurse specialist, or nurse practitioner), or you have completed a post-master’s certificate in one of the four roles, you must also submit evidence of national certification and/or advanced practice recognition/licensure from your state in the role in order to be considered for admission to the program.

Progression Requirements

  1. You will complete clinical courses as part of the requirements for this program. You are required to follow University Catalog and School of Nursing Handbook requirements in completion of your clinical courses.
  2. You must submit all credit for prior learning to the School of Nursing for review and approval.
  3. You must complete immersive learning experiences.

Certification, State Board, and National Board Exams

Certain state certification and licensure boards have specific educational requirements for programs to lead to a license or certification that is a precondition for employment in a recognized occupation. Prospective and current students must review Purdue Global’s State Licensure and Certifications site to view program and state-specific licensure information.

Unless otherwise specified, Purdue Global's programs are not designed to meet any specific state’s licensure or certification requirements. Licensure-track programs may limit enrollment to students in certain states; please see Purdue Global’s Program Availability Information to determine enrollment eligibility.

You are responsible for understanding the requirements of optional certification exams. Such requirements may change during the course of your program. You are not automatically certified in any way upon program completion. Although certain programs are designed to prepare you to take various optional certification exams, Purdue Global cannot guarantee you will be eligible to take these exams or become certified. Your eligibility may depend on your work experience, completion of education and/or degree requirements, not having a criminal record, and meeting other certification requirements.

If eligible, upon completion of the Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Postgraduate Certificate, you may sit for the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner certification. This certification is for population across the lifespan. After earning the certification, you may be academically eligible for licensure as an advanced practice registered nurse in any state in which the program is available for enrollment. Prospective and current students must review Purdue Global’s State Licensure and Certifications site to view program and state-specific licensure information.

Please note that most states require nurses to be nationally certified and to have completed an accredited graduate nursing program in order to obtain licensure as an advanced practice registered nurse. Each national certification provider and state Board of Nursing will have eligibility requirements in addition to these educational requirements, such as passing a criminal background check. It is your responsibility to determine whether you will be eligible for state Board of Nursing approval and certification as an advanced practice registered nurse in your state. Please visit the following websites for more information: