Complete the program in as little as 2 years
Expert faculty and dedicated support for your academic journey
High Pass Rates: AANP Passing Rates above the national average
Walsh University is a CCNE-Accredited Master's Nursing Degree Program
Fill the Mental Healthcare Gap as a PMHNP
Help make meaningful, long-lasting change in your community through Walsh University's online Master of Science – Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (MSN-PMHNP) degree program. This program will equip you with the experience and competencies to provide mental and behavioral health care to individuals, families and groups throughout the lifespan in a variety of settings.
With an affordable, flexible curriculum, this online PMHNP program will see you work alongside experienced faculty as you gain the skills needed to expand your professional autonomy. Through didactic and clinical experiences, you will focus on the mental health care needs of patients as you advocate for their well-being. You can complete the program in as few as two years full-time or three years part-time. This program will equip you with the core and advanced competencies to allow you to thrive in your career and will help you:
- Prepare for certification as a PMHNP
- Develop the skills to care for the mental health needs of patients across the lifespan
- Learn how to work in a variety of settings
- Promote health, rehabilitation and improve quality of life in patients of all ages
Online PMHNP Fast Facts
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Develop advanced clinical skills and expand care in your community as a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner.
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Develop advanced clinical skills and expand care in your community as a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner.
Clinical Placement Support
We know finding preceptors for clinical rotations can be one of the most challenging and stressful parts of any MSN program. As a Walsh MSN-PMHNP student, you’ll be paired with a clinical placement coordinator who will collaborate with you to secure clinical sites and preceptors for your clinical courses.
Our goal is to facilitate a streamlined, high-quality clinical placement experience to help you apply newly gained knowledge, values, and skills from the classroom to the clinical area. By assisting in the management of placement logistics, we hope you’ll be free to focus your efforts where they’re needed most—on coursework and developing competencies.
We collaborate with students to source and vet placement sites for all our online PMHNP students.
We assist in the heavy lifting to confirm your placement site meets all of the necessary clearances.
We’ll be readily available to answer any logistical questions you have about the placement process.
Online PMHNP Program Curriculum
Walsh’s contemporary curriculum ensures students are equipped with the core competencies required to prepare for their board certification. Students will complete 48 credit hours and 600 clinical hours in as few as two years of full-time study. A part-time study option is also available. Below is a sample list of courses you will take while enrolled in the MSN-PMHNP program. For a full list, please download a brochure.
This course will provide students with a comprehensive overview of the major principles of assessment and intervention related to psychiatric diagnoses across the lifespan. The course will place emphasis on the acquisition, use and interpretation of assessment data. Interviewing techniques commonly used will be explored. The course will also address risk assessment, ethical and diversity issues including cultural bias and fairness.
This course will build upon 610 (advanced pathophysiology) and 612 (advanced pharmacology) as a foundation for the PMHNP. Concepts related to psychopathology, neurobiology, genomics, immunology, epidemiology, and pharmacotherapeutics with application to psychiatric diagnosis and pharmacotherapy will be discussed. Evidence based psychiatric prescribing guidelines will be evaluated including classification of medications, actions, adverse reactions, drug interactions, interventions, and patient education to achieve the highest outcome for patients while addressing ethical issues.
This course provides learners with advanced knowledge of individual and group therapeutic modalities needed to provide support to clients experiencing psychiatric and mental health disorders across the lifespan. Emphasis is on modalities used in preventative, acute and long-term care situations. The practitioner’s ability to recognize and address dysfunctional interpersonal patterns through effective and adaptive communication, including the importance of the therapeutic use of self in engaging the client(s) will be explored. Learners will be expected to critically examine various psychotherapeutic techniques and theoretical orientations while developing a working framework for future practice rooted in a growing professional identity.
This course is designed to address common mental health disorders encountered in outpatient mental health settings. The course will focus on the development of knowledge and skills of the PMHNP student in the management of various mental health diagnoses in the outpatient setting. Emphasis will be placed on knowledge and skills needed for health history taking, mental health assessment and disease management of patients across the lifespan.
This course is designed to address the management of psychiatric patients in crisis across the lifespan. The course will improve the knowledge, competence and skills of the PMHNP student in addressing various mental health diagnoses in the acute psychiatric setting. The course emphasizes the development of knowledge and skills in mental health assessment and disease management of patients in crisis across the lifespan.
Get more information
Submit your information to instantly access a digital program brochure.
Applications are currently being accepted for next intake
Online PMHNP Program Eligible States
Currently the Walsh MSN-PMHNP program is available in the following states. Visit our State Authorization page for more information.
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Hawaii
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- New Mexico
- New Jersey
- North Carolina
- Ohio
- Pennsylvania
- Texas
- Vermont
- Virginia
- West Virginia
Online PMHNP Program Careers and Outcomes
Between 2020 and 2030, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, expects nurse practitioners' employment to grow 52%, well over the national average. You will have exceptional
opportunities as a PMHNP. With a nationwide shortage of psychiatric and mental health practitioners, organizations are seeking NPs in this discipline. PMHNPs are equipped to serve and answer the call.
Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioners work in a variety of environments, including:
- Independent practices
- Behavioral health clinics
- Residential treatment centers
- Mental health centers
Along with appealing job opportunities, psychiatric mental health nurse practitioners also enjoy far above average compensation, with median wages of $137,000. This compares to median wages of $73,300 for registered nurses in 2019.
$137,000
Median Annual Salary
Areas for Clinical Practice:
- Independent practices
- Behavioral health clinics
- Residential treatment centers
- Mental health centers
A PMHNP Nurse Fills a Substantial Demand for Mental Health Care
Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioners, or PMHNPs, are highly specialized advanced practice registered nurses who work autonomously or in collaboration with other healthcare professionals to deliver mental and behavioral care to patients. An online MSN-PMHNP program covers a curriculum that prepares a qualified nurse to take the PMHNP National Certification exam. PMHNP nurses care for individuals, families and groups throughout their lifespan, providing treatment for a range of mental, behavioral and substance abuse issues in independent practices, behavioral health centers, residential treatment centers and other healthcare environments.
A PMHNP nurse who graduates from an online MSN program, DNP program or PMHNP Certificate program is increasingly being called upon to fill the gap in mental health care. Current statistics show that 55% of U.S. counties have no practicing psychiatrists and only 4.7% of NPs specialize in psychiatric/mental health. Due to this substantial shortage of mental health practitioners, a PMHNP nurse is well positioned to help fill the mental health care gap.
With a focus on mental and behavioral health as well as health care policy and organizational management, Walsh University’s MSN-PMHNP online program can help you prepare to become a confident, psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner, ready to make a difference in the lives of patients and entire communities.
Walsh University also offers the following MSN programs
Frequently Asked Questions
Clinicals are a required portion of the program that allow you to apply the skills you learn in real-life situations.
As a Walsh MSN student, you’ll be paired with a clinical placement coordinator who will collaborate with you to assist in securing clinical sites and preceptors for your clinical courses.
- Online MSN-FNP program includes 3 clinical rotations for a total of 700 clinical hours.
- Online MSN-PMHNP program includes three clinical rotations for a total of 600 clinical hours.
Our online nursing programs are offered in full- and part-time formats so the programs can be balanced with your current job or other responsibilities. As such, the time to completion will vary by format and specific program. However, in general, programs can be completed in 2 to 4 years, depending on the program.
- The Online MSN-PMHNP program consists of 48 total credit hours. You can complete the program in as little as two years as a full-time student, with a part-time option also available.
- The Online MSN-FNP program consists of 45 total credit hours. You can complete the program in as soon as 2 years as a full-time student, but there are also part-time options available. Depending on your schedule, you can choose to take just one or two courses at a time to balance with working full-time.
- The Online MSN-NE program consists of 42 total credit hours. You can Complete in as little as 3 semesters, eight-week courses.
Yes, we offer competitive tuition rates at $775 per credit hour, and we also have a variety of financial aid options available. Visit our Tuition and Financial Aid page for more details.
Residency requirments for Online MSN specialization:
- Online MSN-PMHNP program: you’ll participate in two intensive experiences: one online and one in-person on the Walsh University campus. The on-campus experience provides hands-on learning, workshops and training.
- Online MSN-FNP program: you’ll participate in two intensive experiences beginning in your second year. The first intensive experience will be virtual and requires no travel. The second intensive experience will be in-person on the Walsh University campus for two days of hands-on learning, workshops and training.
With 100% online coursework, our nursing programs are designed for working professionals. While the online coursework remains flexible, it is important to note that to complete your clinical hours, you may need to adjust your work schedule to accommodate your clinical hour requirements.
Students should plan to devote a minimum of 20 hours per week to clinical hours. If you plan to work full-time while in the program, your schedule must accommodate these requirements. These courses take place toward the end of the programs, so you’ll have time to figure out what would work best for your situation.
Throughout this program, you will connect with your classmates and faculty through group work, discussion boards and peer feedback sessions to ensure an online program centered around collaboration and interactivity. Instructors also host one-on-one office hour opportunities to help you remain connected with your coursework and engaged with the Walsh community.
In addition to your in-class studies, the clinical portions of these programs allow for hands-on, practical experience. Students receive instruction and interaction within students' own communities, including individual and group supervision. These interactive portions of the program emphasize developing therapeutic relationships, nursing procedures, ethical practice and the application of nursing and mental health theories to various client concerns.
The master’s degree program in nursing and doctor of nursing practice program at Walsh University are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (http://www.ccneaccreditation.org).
