Psychiatric Mental Health
Nurse Practitioner Track
Gain board certificationas a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner |
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Clinical placementsprovided across Massachusetts |
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Prepare todiagnose and treat patients across the lifespan |
The Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) program is geared towards providing classroom and clinical experience needed to address the mental health needs of patients across the lifespan. Faculty at the Tan Chingfen Graduate School of Nursing at UMass Chan Medical School bring cutting-edge knowledge in the treatment of mental health conditions to the classroom. The Tan Chingfen Graduate School of Nursing prides itself on its ongoing scholarship in the field of teaching and academics and providing the students with current technologically advanced and innovative interprofessional learning environments.
Our students will be prepared to diagnose and treat acute or chronic mental health conditions, provide psychotherapy to those coping with psychosocial stressors and/or those with addiction issues. Graduates of the program will have additional knowledge and competency in assessing and diagnosing psychiatric conditions, as well as in providing psychotherapy and prescribing medications for patients of all age groups.
Our graduates are eligible to take the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner board certification examination. Upon graduation and certification, our Tan Chingfen Graduate School of Nursing Psychiatric Mental Health NPs will find themselves in high demand with their new expertise. Psychiatric Mental Health NP graduates, certified across the lifespan, will provide services in a variety of settings including outpatient and inpatient settings, step-down or residential programs as well as private outpatient practices.
Nationally recognized faculty
As a student at our institution, you will learn from faculty who are experts in their respective fields. We are proud to share that our Assistant Professor of Nursing and Psychiatric, Mechelle Plasse, PhD, RN, PMHNP-BC, was inducted into the National Academies of Practice as a Distinguished Fellow in 2024.
You can become a PMHNP through our following programs:
- Graduate Entry Pathway to DNP - For non-nurses with a Bachelor’s degree or higher in a non-nursing field
- Bachelor's of Science Degree (BSN) to DNP
- Pre-Graduate Option (PGO) to DNP - The PGO to DNP is a entry pathway for registered nurses with a Bachelor's degree in a non-nursing field. The PGO to DNP curriculum will remain the same, with two additional courses taken in the summer prior to fall matriculation
- Post Graduate Certificate - For practicing NPs ready to refocus their specialization into psychiatric mental health
Once completed, PMHNP recent graduates can apply to join our:
- Fellowship Program - 12-month service commitment in a community health center that is managed by the UMass Chan Tan Chingfen Graduate School of Nursing in partnership with the Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers.