Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Concentration

Education

• Baccalaureate degree or equivalent in nursing from an accredited institution.

Academic Performance

• Minimum GPA of 3.0, both cumulative and in nursing coursework.

Licensure

• Current unencumbered United States RN license at the time of application.
• California RN license must be obtained before the start of classes and maintained throughout the program.

Experience

• Minimum of one year of full-time RN experience is required before matriculating into clinical courses (applies to most programs).

Certification

• Current American Heart Association Basic Life Support (CPR) certification.

Recommendations

Two electronic recommendations following:

• Required: Recent nurse manager or director
• Additional may be either of the following:
  • Nursing peer
  • Spiritual advisor

Interview Process (if granted by the Admissions Committee)

• Completion of the Emotional Intelligence Interview Process, which includes a meeting (in person or via Zoom) with the program coordinator and another Graduate Nursing Program faculty member.

PMHNP's are prepared for careers in a variety of settings, including:

• Private Practice – Outpatient mental health care and medication management
• Hospitals & Inpatient Psychiatry – Acute psychiatric treatment
• Community Mental Health Clinics – Serving underserved populations
• Primary Care Integration – Addressing mental health in primary care settings
• Addiction & Recovery Centers – Treating substance use and co-occurring disorders
• Telepsychiatry – Providing virtual psychiatric care
• Child & Adolescent Psychiatry – Supporting youth mental health
• Geriatric Psychiatry – Caring for older adults with mental health needs
• Veterans & Military Settings – Managing PTSD and trauma-related conditions
• Correctional Facilities – Psychiatric care within justice systems
• Nursing Education – Teaching in academic or clinical settings
• Mental Health Program Leadership – Managing clinical teams or services
• Policy & Advocacy – Shaping mental health policy and access

Our Hybrid model combines the convenience of online learning with the irreplaceable value of face-to-face clinical mastery. Clinical/Lab/Simulation courses will be hybrid to allow students to have hands-on practice, preparing them for their clinical practice setting.  Schedules will be provided to students for required meetings during the quarter in advance.  This allows you to refine your practical expertise in person and graduate with exceptional skills that set you apart from other Advanced Practice Nurses.

NGRD 624 Advanced Health Assessment 4u
This course has mandatory synchronous lab meetings 4-6 meetings during the quarter. The schedule will be given in advance for planning.

All clinical and practicum courses

1. Direct Clinical Hours: 630-750 hours, depending on the specialty.
   Students in the CNS and NP clinical courses will be assigned clinical rotations within Southern California (within a 90 mile radius of Loma Linda).
2. DNP Project: The DNP Project can be done in the workplace, allowing students to collect evidence-based research data.

Sample Schedule
Full-time: 3 years, 9 months (15 academic quarters).
Part-time options are available.