The PMH-Clinical Nurse Specialist Option has been suspended effective June 2011. All applicants will apply to the PMH CNS-Nurse practitioner combined track.
The UNC-CH School of Nursing offers three options within the Psychiatric-Mental Health (PMH) Advanced Practice area for students desiring post-masters preparation as a PMH Clinical Nurse Specialist (PMH-CNS), or PMH Nurse Practitioner (PMH-NP), or a combined Psychiatric-Mental Health Clinical Nurse Specialist/ Nurse Practitioner (PMH-CNS & PMH-NP). Changes in the care of persons diagnosed with or vulnerable to psychiatric disorders have opened new opportunities for psychiatric-mental health advanced practice. With psychiatric mental health advanced practice skills, graduates can independently manage the mental health care needs of clients by functioning as psychotherapists and case managers in a variety of public, private, community, inpatient, and collaborative practice settings, and as consultants for hospitals and community organizations. An emphasis on the interaction and integration of common mental and physical health problems gives the student an evidence-based framework for comprehensive mental health care. The PMH APRN is prepared to assume an expanded scope of practice that includes prescriptive authority, advanced comprehensive assessment, diagnostic reasoning and collaborative management of health problems common to adults.
This option is designed for nurses who have a MSN in Psychiatric and Mental Health nursing and meet the competencies of the PMH-CNS option, and are currently certified as an Adult or Child CNS by the ANCC and who desire to become certified to practice as an Adult Psychiatric and Mental Health Nurse Practitioner or as a Family Psychiatric and Mental Health Nurse Practitioner.
Individuals who have earned a master's degree in nursing from accredited programs, are currently licensed as RNs, and have at least one year's clinical experience are eligible to apply.
NOTE: Potential applicants who currently hold national certification as a nurse practitioner and an earned master's degree in a related field will need to contact the certification organization in their newly selected specialty area to determine their eligibility or ability to petition the Certification program for permission to sit for the examination upon completion of a postmaster's program.
In addition, all applicants are strongly encouraged to contact the Board of Nursing in the state in which they intend to practice, to determine the procedure (if any) for receiving approval to practice as a nurse practitioner with an MPH or a master's in another related field. This procedure varies widely by state.
You will be asked to submit the following documents with your application:
Applicants must complete a Health Assessment course, approved by the School of Nursing, within two years prior to enrollment in the clinical courses (unless the applicant is currently practicing as a nurse practitioner). Please refer to the Post-Master's application instructions (Health Assessment Skills Evaluation Form) for detailed information on this requirement.
This program is a minum of 9 credits and is designed for nurses who have a MSN in PMH nursing and meet the competencies of the PMH-CNS option, and are currently certified as an Adult or Child CNS by the ANCC and who desire to become certified to practice as an Adult PMH Nurse Practitioner or as a Family Psychiatric and Mental Health Nurse Practitioner. The PMH advanced practice area coordinator review all coursework taken during the applicant’s previous graduate program. Additional coursework or alternative coursework may be required based on this evaluation, specifically in the areas of health assessment, pathophysiology, pharmacology, psychopharmacology, the advanced practice role, and therapeutic modalities. Post-master's students who are not nationally certified as Psychiatric Mental Health Clinical Nurse Specialists and have not maintained their clinical practice will be required to take additional coursework and consequently a longer program of study.
Courses are taken with graduate students in the Master of Science in Nursing Program. Student's who drop out are generally not eligible to return in the following year. Clinical placements are planned with students according to their learning needs and career plans. Students pursue clinical experiences with persons across the life span. Clinical sites may be arranged near your home and/or work. There are many excellent clinical sites available in the Triangle area, including mental health centers, psychiatric hospitals, home health agencies, and private nurse practices. We offer rich and varied opportunities for clinical practicums with an impressive array of adjunct faculty, other certified specialists in PMH nursing, and other mental health professionals who can serve as clinical preceptors.
Psychiatric-Mental Health faculty members are sensitive to students' learning needs by employing a variety of instructional modalities including seminar or classroom settings, on-line and/or Web-enhanced instruction. As a result, the courses may be offered in traditional classroom settings and/or via distance technologies.
The program takes up to two academic years plus one intervening semester to complete. There is an option to extend the program for an additional semester to meet the student's needs.
As a non-degree program, the Post-Master’s Certificate Program is “housed” within the Department of Part-Time Classroom Studies, part of the William and Ida Friday Center for Continuing Education at UNC-Chapel Hill. Upon acceptance into the program, you will be sent registration instructions for the first semester. Tuition must be submitted at the time of registration. Tuition is subject to annual increases by the University’s Board of Governors. The Post-MSN Program is a part-time program; however, a matriculated student may enroll full-time for one semester over the course of the program.
You may consult the University Cashier’s Office costs of attendance for specific information about tuition for the Post-Master’s Program (Refer to the figures for Part-Time Classroom Studies-Graduate). Additionally, all clinical courses are subject to a $150 practicum fee (a listing of these courses can be found on last page of the cost of attendance document).
Note: Students are fully responsible for all expenses for clinical-related travel.
Admission to the Post Master's Program is offered only once per year (Fall). The deadline for applying for fall admission is January 15th.
Upon satisfactory completion of this program, students are eligible to sit for national certification as a Family Nurse Practitioner and apply for approval by the joint committee of the North Carolina Board of Nursing and North Carolina Board of Medical Examiners to practice as a nurse practitioner in North Carolina
Additional Information:
School of Nursing
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Carrington Hall, CB #7460
Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7460
For general information on the School of Nursing and application materials, contact:
Office of Admissions and Student Services
(919) 966-4260
nursing@unc.edu
