For APRNs who have a Master’s or Higher Degree
Specifically designed for master’s prepared APRN’s seeking academic progression and specialization in the psychiatric mental health field, this program honors your current advanced nursing practice by honing your leadership skills to drive impactful systems change in healthcare through collaborative teams while empowering you to deliver exceptional psychiatric – mental health care to individuals and groups across the lifespan.
- Advanced clinical practice skills to care for the psychiatric-mental health needs across the lifespan
- Comprehensive mental health evaluations, diagnosing psychiatric disorders, and creating individualized care plans – psychopharmacological medication management, psychotherapeutic interventions, evidence-based practice and quality improvement, clinical leadership at organizational/systems level, and interdisciplinary collaboration and teamwork to improve patient outcomes
- Develop the leadership acumen to drive organizational success and lead interprofessional teams with confidence and impact.
- Empower yourself as a nurse leader, broaden your expertise, and help address the critical mental health needs of our community.
Top Program Benefits
- Gain essential organizational leadership skills, empowering you to lead interprofessional teams in tackling complex challenges and delivering exceptional, high-quality care.
- Clinical placements coordinated by UH Manoa School of Nursing with expert clinicians across diverse healthcare settings in Hawai’i, including rural and neighbor island experiences, broadening your impact on varied populations.
- Personalized support from dedicated program advisors and experienced faculty with active practice experience committed to preparing Hawaii’s future PMHNPs.
- Hybrid learning, cohort model to support an optimized educational experience.
- Meets the educational requirements for national PMHNP board certification examination.
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Program Description
The Post-Master’s Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) program at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa is designed for current Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs) who wish to further their careers by pursuing a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree and achieving an additional national certification as a PMHNP. This full-time, cohort-based program is structured to be completed in three years (eight semesters), with a total of 63 credit hours required for program completion.
This program builds on your foundational advanced practice nursing skills and prepares you to provide holistic, evidence-based psychiatric-mental health care to individuals, families, and groups across the lifespan. The curriculum focuses on psychotropic medication management, psychotherapy (individual, group, and family), crisis intervention, and care coordination, ensuring you gain the expertise to work with a variety of populations in diverse healthcare settings.
Highlights
- Specialized PMHNP courses focusing on psychiatric-mental health care and therapeutic techniques across all ages
- 810 supervised clinical hours in a variety of settings, ensuring real-world experience with individuals and communities throughout the lifespan
- 1000+ DNP Essentials hours, ensuring students meet all advanced practice and doctoral-level competencies
- Advanced clinical skills in psychotropic medication management, therapy, and crisis intervention
- Emphasis on serving vulnerable populations, with a focus on culturally competent, trauma-informed care in Hawaii’s unique healthcare landscape
- Eligibility to sit for the national PMHNP certification exam upon successful completion of the program
Licensure and Practice in Hawaii
Graduates who successfully complete the PMHNP DNP Program are eligible to obtain national certification as a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner. Upon receipt of board certification, graduates are eligible to add the PMHNP specialty to their Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) licensure with the Hawaii Board of Nursing. While the University of Hawaii at Manoa supports licensure in Hawaii, students intending to practice outside the state should consult the respective state licensing board to determine regional requirements.
Curriculum
Enrollment in equivalent courses in other UH schools or offered by NEXus may be taken to ensure timely student progression. Students participate in a mandatory orientation during the first week of instruction each semester.
The following is a sample curriculum and is subject to change. Course offerings may vary based on the student’s year of admission to the program, faculty, and program updates.
PM-PMHNP DNP Course List
- NURS 607 Applied Biostatistics and Epidemiology for Nurses in Advanced Practice (3)
- NURS 662 Leadership, Role Identity, and Organizational/System Change (3)
- NURS 631 Advanced Psychopharmacology Across the Lifespan (3 cr)
- N642 Healthcare Information and Technology (3)
- NURS 683 Psychobiology of Mental Health (3 cr)
- NURS 684 Theory: Psychiatric-Mental Health Advanced Practice Nursing Across the Lifespan 1 (3 cr)
- NURS 684L Clinical: Psychiatric-Mental Health Advanced Practice Nursing 1 (6 cr)
- NURS 685 Individual Psychotherapy for Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioners (3 cr)
- NURS 686 Psychiatric-Mental Health Advanced Practice Nursing Across the Lifespan 2 (3 cr)
- NURS 686L Clinical: Psychiatric-Mental Health Advanced Practice Nursing 2 (6 cr)
- NURS 687 Family & Group Psychotherapy for Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioners (3 cr)
- NURS 688 Theory: Psychiatric-Mental Health Advanced Practice Nursing Across the Lifespan 3 (3)
- NURS 688L Clinical: Psychiatric-Mental Health Advanced Practice Nursing 3 (6)
- NURS 730 Principles of Evidence Based Practice for Advanced Nursing (3)
- NURS 735 Effective Program Evaluation for Quality Improvement (3)
- NURS 740 Health Policy & Economics (3)
- NURS 755 DNP Scholarly Project A: Proposal (2)
- NURS 756 DNP Scholarly Project B: Implementation (2)
- NURS 757 DNP Scholarly Project C: Evaluation & Dissemination (2)
Total Number of Credits: 63 credits
Current students refer to STAR for their individualized curriculum pathway.
Note: It is the student’s responsibility to meet regularly with their academic advisor(s) to ensure proper progress and to confirm their academic requirements.
Contact
DNP Program Coordinator & NEXus Campus Staff Coordinator
Contact for applicants and current students in the DNP program and the NEXus Program.
Email: dnpnurs@hawaii.edu
School of Nursing and Dental Hygiene
University of Hawaii at Manoa
2528 McCarthy Mall, Webster Hall 201
Honolulu, HI 96822
Ph: 808-956-8401
Fax: 808-956-5977
via Star Balance
Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Specialty Program Coordinator & Instructor
School of Nursing and Dental Hygiene
University of Hawaii at Manoa
2528 McCarthy Mall, Webster Hall 406
Honolulu, HI 96822
Phone: 808-956-5523
Fax: 808-956-3257
Email: chrisnm@hawaii.edu