Normal Time to Completion: 2 years 8 months
This program is offered online.
Jump to the MSN-PMHNP Curriculum
The American Sentinel MSN, Nurse Practitioner specialization, prepares experienced nurses as advanced clinicians with emphasis on assessment, prevention, diagnosis, and management of acute and chronic health conditions of patients in the primary care setting. Graduates will be prepared to assume APRN roles within the current healthcare environment.
The MSN nurse practitioner specializations are designed to prepare graduates with an active, unencumbered registered nurse (RN) license to qualify to sit for national nurse practitioner certification exams, which are required for practice as a nurse practitioner in most states. However, each State Board of Nursing has its own academic and certification requirements and issues its own credential for an RN to be permitted to practice as an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) in that state. We encourage students to consult the appropriate Board of Nursing or state agency to determine specific certification exam requirements. It is the Nurse Practitioner student's responsibility to consult the appropriate Board of Nursing or state agency in the state in which they wish to practice. Nurse practitioner students are encouraged to understand, evaluate, and comply with all requirements relating to national certification exams for the state in which they intend to practice as an APRN as requirements vary widely.American Sentinel College of Nursing & Health Sciences makes no representations or guarantee that completion of American Sentinel College of Nursing & Health Sciences coursework or programs will permit an individual to obtain state licensure, authorization, endorsement, or other state credential. For more information about the requirements to practice as a nurse practitioner, students should contact the appropriate Board of Nursing or state agency. American Sentinel College of Nursing & Health Sciences makes no representations or guarantee that completion of American Sentinel coursework or programs will permit an individual to obtain national certification. For more information about nurse practitioner certification exams, students should visit the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners at www.aanpcertification.org, the American Nurses Credentialing Center at www.nursecredentialing.org, or other nurse practitioner certification exam websites.
Visit our State Authorization and Licensure page for more information.
The NP specialty tracks utilize current practice, education, legislative, and research trends in health care and local needs along with various guiding principles, documents, and regulations set forth by the:
- American Association of Colleges (AACN) Essentials and Competencies for the Family and Adult/Gerontology Nurse Practitioner program
- Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) Standards for Accreditation
- American Nurses Association (ANA)
- Consensus Model for APRN Regulation: Licensure, Accreditation, Certification & Education (LACE)
- Institute of Medicine (IOM)
- National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN)
- Criteria for Evaluation of Nurse Practitioner Programs (NTF, 2012)
- American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP)
- American Nurse Credentialing Center (ANCC)
MSN, Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Specialization
Graduates of the MSN program, Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing Practitioner (PMHNP) specialization, will be able to:
- Provide evidence-based, patient-centered care, which synthesizes the holistic nature of advanced practice Nursing & diagnostic reasoning, to enhance patient, healthcare, and organizational outcomes critical to building quality and safe patient care capacity
- Engage in leadership and scholarship activities that fosters collaboration and communication among interdisciplinary team members
- Evaluate the impact between legal, social, political, economic, and ethical issues, and their influence on the provision and management of patient care services
- Integrate clinical guidelines, research, clinical judgment, and interdisciplinary perspectives using translational processes to improve practice, health, and organizational outcomes
- Incorporate information technology when interacting and collaborating with patient, families, and interdisciplinary team members for improved healthcare delivery processes and outcomes
- Advocate for ethical and culturally sensitive policies that impact access, equity, quality, and cost
- Employ knowledge of organizational practices and complex systems to enhance delivery and quality of healthcare services
- Apply sound ethical solutions to complex issues concerning the care of individuals and populations, and systems of care
- Synthesize knowledge from Nursing & related sciences to provide patient-centered and evidence-based care while respecting diverse beliefs and attitudes, and by allowing the patient to be a full partner in the decision-making process
- Assume responsibility for professional growth and integrity by engaging in life-long learning and commitment to the discipline of advanced practice nursing.
Curriculum
All courses must be taken in the order they are listed on the curriculum. All NP courses are to be taken one at a time. The courses are all 8 weeks in length. Courses must be completed in the specified timeframe, including clinical hours completed in the allotted 8 weeks. The NP track is not offered on a part-time or accelerated basis.
The NP program specializations do require clinical work. Learn more about clinical work on the additional nursing requirements page.
