Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing

Overview

The University of Maryland School of Nursing (UMSON) Psychiatric Mental Health (PMH) master’s specialty prepares nurse practitioners to enter the workplace with the knowledge, skills, and abilities essential to implement the full scope of practice of a licensed independent nurse practitioner (NP).  The curriculum builds upon four core PMHNP competencies: advanced health assessment (physical and psychosocial); diagnosis (diagnosis of mental disorders, pathophysiology, and neurophysiology); psychotherapy (individual, group, and family); and medication management (pharmacology and psychopharmacology). Other courses develop competencies in health care systems, best-practice research utilization and translation, and health care quality improvement.

Clinical opportunities for sub-specialization related to high-risk populations, e.g., geriatric, children and adolescents, severe and persistent mental disorders, and persons with substance use disorders, are available by pairing students with faculty specialists and preceptors. UMSON’s location in the Baltimore-Washington, D.C.-Annapolis triangle provides a rich and varied selection of clinical sites. Graduates are prepared to sit for the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s (ANCC) Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner (Family) certification examination. Full-time, part-time, and post-master's (non-degree) options are available.

Sample Plan of Full-Time Study

Post-Master's Option

The Psychiatric Mental Health post-master’s (non-degree) specialty prepares graduates as advanced practice psychiatric mental health nurse practitioners. Because mental health issues and psychiatric disorders cross all health care specialties, a variety of combined or post-master’s options are available. These include: 1) psychiatric clinical specialists who wish to expand their scope of nursing practice as psychiatric mental health nurse practitioners; 2) adult, family, or pediatric nurse practitioners adding a psychiatric specialty; and 3) other master’s-prepared nurses who wish to change their specialty or add psychiatric nursing to their scope of practice. The coursework and credit loads for the various combined and post-master’s options are determined on an individual basis and are based on transcripts and previous degrees and certifications. Individualized plans of study will be customized for each post-master’s student based on a review of transcripts and “gap analysis” with the assigned advisor. Graduates are prepared to sit for the ANCC Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner (Family) certification examination. The requirements for certification as a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner are shown in the gap analysis table (link below), along with the courses and content areas that are required by UMSON.

• Gap Analysis Table (Word)

Faculty

Specialty Director: 

Ana C. Duarte, MS, APRN, CRNP-PMH, clinical instructor
Email: aduarte@son.umaryland.edu

Faculty:

Vickie Beck, MS, APRN-BC, clinical instructor
Charon Burda, MS, PMHNP-BC, assistant professor
(Mary) Jan Carroll, PhD, PMH-CNS, CS-P, BC, clinical instructor
Ana C. Duarte, MS, APRN, CRNP-PMH, clinical instructor
Jeanne Geiger-Brown, PhD, RN, associate professor and co-director, Center for Health Outcomes Research 
Pat Harris, MS, APRN, CRNP-PMH, clinical instructor
Karan Kverno, PhD, PMHNP-BC, PMHCNS-BC, assistant professor
Debra Lanouette, MSN, PMHCNS-BD-P, clinical instructor
Gail Schoen Lemaire, PhD, PMH/CNS, BC, associate professor and director, CNL program
Sarah Miller, MS, RN, clinical instructor
Lynn Oswald, PhD, RN, associate professor
Victoria Selby, MSN, RN, PMHNP-BC, clinical instructor

Other Resources

• For Admission Requirements, Visit the MS Degree Program Page
• Post-BSN/Entry Level to DNP Program Information