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Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse Practitioner

Facilitate Optimal Mental Health

Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse Practitioners (PMHNP) have expert knowledge and skills essential for promoting, supporting, and facilitating optimal mental health through compassionate client-centered care. 

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Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Overview

The Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse Practitioner graduate is prepared to: 

  • Deliver evidence-based, person-centered psychiatric-mental health care across the lifespan, integrating theory, research, and clinical expertise for individuals, families, and communities.
  • Design, implement, and evaluate innovative behavioral health interventions and quality improvement initiatives that address complex mental health and substance use needs.
  • Lead and collaborate within interprofessional teams to influence mental health policy, advocate for health equity, and optimize care delivery systems.
  • Demonstrate ethical practice, cultural humility, and a commitment to lifelong learning to advance the psychiatric-mental health nursing profession and improve patient outcomes.

Program Length

The Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Track is completed in 8 semesters

Mode

Hybrid (synchronous and asynchronous online learning with some on-campus activities required)

Clinical

Gain hands-on experience through 900 Direct Patient Care Hours

Pass Rate

Our combined national certification pass rate stands at 100%

Track Information

    Graduates are prepared to sit for the national certification from the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). Upon successful completion of the exam, candidates are eligible to become certified or licensed to practice.

    Salt Lake City Veterans Affairs Medical Center (SLC VAMC) and University of Utah College of Nursing (UU CON) were granted by Office of Academic Affiliations (OAA) to offer an innovative 12 month Post-Graduate PMHNP Residency Training. This residency is designed for new PMHNPs with a commitment to serve the Veterans population.

    The major goal of this partnership between the UU CON and the SLC VAMC is to create better access to mental health care for veterans. The new PMHNP residents will experience every facet of veteran-centric mental health care at the SLC VAMC, working in close collaboration with experienced psychiatric mental health nurse practitioners, physicians, pharmacists, social workers, psychologists and support staff. Residents receive training via clinical experiences and didactic classroom instruction in this inter-professional environment.

    The program prepares new NPs to become confident and competent specialty care providers by providing didactic seminars, Grand Rounds, supervised and independent clinical practice, specialty rotations, leadership training, inter-professional simulations and Tele-mental health training during the 12 month of period. The application deadline is subject to change.

    For more information contact: Amy Morton Miller at amy.morton-miller@va.gov

    Graduate Certificates

    Contact Us

    Sheila Deyette, PhD, APRN, PMHCNS-BC
    Specialty Track Director
    sheila.deyette@nurs.utah.edu

    Shelley Kern, MPC
    DNP Program Manager
    shelley.kern@nurs.utah.edu