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Apply hereDoctor of nursing practice
Mental illness and behavioral issues continue to be on the rise among Americans. Despite this, the number of professionals equipped to diagnose and guide these individuals has not kept pace. You're here because you want to change that trend. Mizzou Online's doctor of nursing practice (DNP) program with a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner (PMHNP) emphasis prepares you to close the gap and direct outcomes through leadership and research.
Two formats — bachelor of science in nursing (BSN) to DNP and master of science in nursing (MSN) to DNP — instruct you in serving patients along the lifespan, including through a 1,000-hour clinical assignment. During the course of the program, you’ll also develop and present a solution to an ongoing patient or population health concern.
Based on current education and licensure, completing the online DNP in PMHNP program qualifies you to sit for the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s (ANCC) Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner certification (PMHNP-BC™) exam.
About the online DNP PMHNP program
Roughly one in two Americans lives in a region with a shortage of counselors, psychiatrists and psychologists, with lower-income and traditionally underserved communities hit the hardest. And as many in need find, area professionals aren’t always accepting new patients.
To address this disparity, nurse practitioners are increasingly called upon to evaluate and diagnose patients before directing them to psychiatric services, monitor ongoing treatments and medication use, and think about the effects of mental illness, addiction or behavioral concerns on the family unit.
To get you here, the online DNP in PMHNP program:
- Stresses the importance of independent and interdependent decision-making, leadership and collaboration across health care teams.
- Instructs you in managing psychotropic medications and delivering psychotherapeutic and psychoeducational interventions.
- Examines the role of inquiry, humanities and related sciences in improving care quality and outcomes at individual and population levels.
- Emphasizes analyzing multiple data sources to enhance evidence-based care delivery.
- Takes a broader look at the impact of advanced nursing care, including economic, cultural, environmental, political and policy factors, to help you reduce health disparities and advocate for all patients.
Quick facts
Official name
Doctor of nursing practice with an emphasis in psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner (across the lifespan)Campus
Program type
DoctorateAcademic home
Sinclair School of NursingDelivery mode
Blended, some campus visits requiredAccreditation
Higher Learning Commission, Commission on Collegiate Nursing EducationCredit hours
72Estimated cost
$45,360.00*This cost is for illustrative purposes only. Your hours and costs will differ, depending on your transfer hours, your course choices and your academic progress. See more about tuition and financial aid.
Career prospects
Career prospects
With the Bureau of Labor Statistics anticipating 38% more positions for nurse practitioners across all disciplines through 2032, Mizzou Online's DNP in PMHNP program propels your career forward through one of two pathways.
As a registered nurse, you see firsthand the need for professionals trained to assist children, teens and adults living with mental health disorders. The online DNP in PMHNP program builds on your professional foundation to specialize your knowledge, upgrade your license and equip you to take ownership of the diagnostic process and subsequent treatments.
For current nurse practitioners, the program encourages you to examine how you deliver care, enriching your approach to research, helping you step into leadership and preparing you to assess population-level health outcomes.
Program structure
The online DNP in PMHNP program requires 72 to 74.5 credit hours above the baccalaureate level. You’ll progress toward this goal through one of two formats:
BSN to DNP: Accelerate your career, beginning with MSN-level course work before transitioning to a research- and leadership-centered doctoral focus. Along the way, you’ll spend time in the field through a 1,000-hour faculty- or preceptor-supervised clinical assignment and qualify for the PMHNP-BC™ exam after fulfilling all master’s requirements.
MSN to DNP: Transfer up to 38 master’s-level credit hours, including for your clinical assignment, before seamlessly continuing on to doctoral course work intended to strengthen how you guide teams, apply research and enrich care delivery. Once you start the DNP program, you’ll meet with an advisor to develop a plan of study based on outstanding requirements.
For both tracks, you’ll immerse yourself in a scholarly research project, during which you devise an evidence-based intervention, program or solution to an ongoing issue affecting mental health care delivery. As a result of your efforts, you’ll produce a paper or executive summary and prepare to present your findings.
Delivery of the DNP in PMHNP program is blended: You will complete most course work online, but a five-day on-campus orientation session is required during the summer before classes begin. Additional campus visits will be required throughout the program.
Courses are semester-based. Time to completion depends on your academic progress so far. If you already have a master’s degree, you can study part time and fulfill all requirements in three years. If you have a bachelor’s degree and want to attend part time, you will likely take five or six years.
Course work includes
- Diagnostics and psychopharmacology
- Pediatric mental health assessment and management
- Brief individual psychotherapy, group therapy and social skills training
- Mental health intervention for families
- Ethics and sociocultural issues
- Physical assessment and diagnostic reasoning
Delivery
Blended, some campus visits requiredCalendar system
Semester-basedTypical program length
4-5 yearsTypical course load
Part timeAccreditation
The University of Missouri is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, one of six regional institutional accreditors in the United States. The DNP at the Sinclair School is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education.
