Main ContentFamily Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
One of the most in-demand areas of advanced nursing practice, family psychiatric/mental health nursing is an ever-growing field that involves providing a full spectrum of care to individuals in clinics, hospitals, nursing homes, rehabilitation centers and correctional settings. The Family Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse Practitioner track at the University of Mississippi School of Nursing will prepare you to assess, diagnose and treat individuals across the lifespan or families with mental health problems and disorders or the potential for such disorders.
The Family Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse Practitioner track's curriculum helps you develop skills for comprehensive physical and mental health assessment, diagnosis and psychotherapeutic and pharmacological interventions. The plan of study integrates assessment, pharmacological treatment and therapy for patients across the lifespan and includes the study and application of diagnostic and treatment modalities, theories and approaches to practice. Students learn skills to work collaboratively with other health-care professionals to provide mental health-care services in a variety of settings. Graduates are eligible to take the ANCC national certification exam and obtain a state advanced practiced license as a nurse practitioner.
Plans of study and course scheduling
The Family Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse Practitioner courses are online; however, some may require intensives that meet on campus two times per semester. Nurse practitioner clinical experiences must be accomplished in Mississippi, due to regulations of state boards of nursing and education. National standards for nurse practitioner education also influence the decision regarding out-of-state clinical experiences.
Flexible plans of study are available and are designed by faculty with individual consideration given to students' goals. Students will be given an individualized plan of study appropriate for their role by their academic adviser upon enrollment. Certified Nurse Practitioners are given credit for 90 hours of physical assessment. The total number of clinical hours for certified primary care NPs seeking the FPMHNP track in 540. Note: Post-master's students will be given an individualized plan of study appropriate for their role by their academic advisor upon enrollment.
Certification and Licensure
The University of Mississippi School of Nursing's Family Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse Practitioner track, a track leading to certification, satisfies the requirements set forth by the governing body in the State of Mississippi. Completion of the Family Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse Practitioner track also qualifies graduates to take the ANCC national certification exam in order to obtain a state advanced practice license as a nurse practitioner. Please be advised that requirements for nursing licensure vary from state to state. UMMC has not made a determination on whether the degree meets the licensing requirements of states, territories or entities outside of Mississippi. If you are located (presently living) outside of the state of Mississippi and are interested in this track, please contact admissioncounselor@umc.edu immediately and UMMC will make every effort to make a determination of whether it meets licensure requirements for the state in which you are located.
Additionally, Mississippi is a Nursing Licensure Compact (NLC) state. The Nursing Licensure Compact (NLC) is an agreement between states that allows nurses to have one license but the ability to practice in other states that are part of the agreement. However, be advised that ultimately reciprocity of a Mississippi nursing or advanced practice nursing license is determined by individual states and entities. For more information related to how nursing reciprocity works, please visit www.ncsbn.org.
For more information
For additional general information regarding the Family Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse Practitioner track, you may email admissioncounselor@umc.edu or call (601) 815-0124.
For more specific information please contact the individual track director listed on the graduate contacts webpage.