Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (DNP)

SUNY Poly offers as Doctor of Nursing Practice degree program leading to New York State (NYS) licensure as a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP). NYS PMHNP specialty practice includes the diagnoses and treatment of psychiatric disorders and manages other acute and chronic mental health problems of adults and children. PMHNPs may provide primary mental health care services or acute mental health services (i.e., triage, crisis intervention services).

There are three pathways for entry into the DNP degree program:

Post-Baccalaureate PMHNP – D.N.P. Degree Program: an admission offer will be given to a qualified applicant that is an RN with the highest earned degree in nursing at the baccalaureate level (BS or BSN degree) for full or part-time plan of study.

Post-Masters PMHNP – D.N.P. Degree Program: an admission offer with advanced standing will be given to a qualified applicant that is an RN that holds an MS, MSN degree in nursing; completed a graduate level clinical nursing APRN (Advanced Practice Registered Nurse) program such as a Nurse Practitioner in another specialty, a Clinical Nurse Specialist, Nurse Midwifery or Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist; and is a licensed and certified in a clinical specialty.

Post-Masters PMHNP – D.N.P. Degree Program with gap analysis: an admission offer with advanced standing with gap analysis will be given to a qualified applicant that is an RN and that holds an MS, MSN or MA degree and completed a graduate level non-clinical nursing program (Nursing Education, Nursing Leadership or Nursing Administration).

The DNP degree program consists of 76 credits of graduate coursework including a core of nursing theory, research and leadership; foundations for advanced nursing clinical practice; PMHNP practice specialty courses; and, doctoral preparation for improving population health, health care delivery systems, and translational research. The DNP PMHNP program is an online program with asynchronous and synchronous learning opportunities to address the educational needs of adult learners. It can be completed within 5 years of study with an on-site Orientation and two on-site DNP Residencies at specified times in the curriculum. The program includes a total of 1040 clinical and 80 lab hours.

The program is designed to meet:

  • The education requirements for national certification in the PMHNP specialty. A measure of programs is success is candidate performance on national certification exams and the benchmark has been established at 80% or higher for first-time takers a calendar year.
  • The Standards of the American Academy of Colleges of Nursing (AACN), American Nurse Association (ANA), National Association of Nurse Practitioner Faculty (NONPF), and the American Psychiatric Nurse Association (APNA).

Accreditation:

Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE), 3624 Market Street, Suite 2 West, Philadelphia, PA. 19104 Phone: 267.284.5000.

Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), 655 K Street NW, Suite 750, Washington, DC 20001, 202.887.6791.Current Accreditation Award: Continuing. Last Accreditation Date: 9.16.2013. Next Review Cycle: Fall 2023.

Graduate Core (9 credits)

  • NUR 500 Theoretical Foundations of Nursing Practice (3cr)
  • NUR 503 Advanced Leadership and Health Policy (3cr)
  • NUR 585 Nursing Science: Research for Evidence Based Practice (3cr)

Practice Foundation (19 credits)

  • NUR 521 Diagnostic Testing for Nurse Practitioners (2cr)
  • NUR 531 Family Theory (2cr)
  • NUR 555 Advanced Clinical Pharmacology (3cr)
  • NUR 568 Advanced Health Assessment (4cr: 3cr didactic/1cr lab or 40 lab hrs.)
  • NUR 570 Advanced Pathophysiology (3cr)
  • NUR 572 Family Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Across the Lifespan (3cr)
  • NUR 595 Integrative Health (2cr)

PMH Specialty Courses (23 credits)

Clock to Credit Ratio: Didactic 1:1; Clinical 80:1; Lab 40:1

  • NUR 502 Foundations in Psychiatric Mental Health Care (2cr)
  • NUR 590 Advanced Diagnostics for Psychiatric Mental Health (2cr)
  • NUR 600 Psychopharmacology (3cr)
  • NUR 516 Advanced Theory and Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing Clinical I (4cr: 2cr
    didactic / 2cr clinical@ 160 cl hrs.)
  • NUR 517 Advanced Theory and Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing Practice Clinical II (4cr: 2cr didactic /2cr clinical @ 160 cl hrs.)
  • NUR 601 Advanced Theory and Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing Practice Clinical III (4cr: 2cr didactic /2cr clinical @ 160 cl hrs.)
  • NUR 602 Advanced Theory and Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing Practice Clinical IV (4cr: 2cr didactic /2cr clinical @ 160 cl hrs.)

All DNP Students – Common DNP Core (25 credits)

Clock to Credit Ratio: Didactic 1:1; Clinical 80:1; Lab 40:1

  • NUR 655 Biostatistics and Epidemiology (3cr)
  • NUR 700 DNP Residency I: EBP and Data Analysis (2cr: 1.5cr didactic /.5cr lab or 20 lab hrs.)
  • NUR 760 Translational Research (3cr)
  • NUR 780 Systems Leadership and Organizational Technologies (3cr: 1cr didactic / 2cr clinical or 160 cl hrs.)
  • NUR 800 DNP Residency II: Entrepreneurship in Nursing (2cr)
  • NUR 810 Health Policy (2cr)
  • NUR 820 Population Health (4cr: 1cr didactic/ 3cr clinical or 240 cl hrs.)
  • NUR 830 DNP Clinical Project: Proposal (2cr)
  • NUR 840 DNP Clinical Project: Implementation (2cr)
  • NUR 860 DNP Clinical Project: Evaluation (2cr)