You’ll gain the knowledge and clinical skills necessary to diagnose acute, episodic and chronic mental health illnesses and provide treatment options that include medication, psychotherapy or a combination of the two. Whether you are an RN with a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN), a Ph.D. in Nursing, a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) or an NP looking for a new specialization, our program equips you with the knowledge and skills to make much-needed behavioral and mental healthcare more accessible to individuals of any age.
Upon completing the certificate, you will be eligible for the Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner certification examination offered by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC).
Balance your ambition with existing commitments
Designed for the working nurse, the PMH-CERT provides you with an essential understanding of cognitive processes, behaviors, and how life events affect the mental health of your patients. Throughout the program you’ll engage in simulated and live patient experiences that mimic clinical practice for a seamless transition into the PMHNP role upon certification.
With convenient 6-, 12- and 16-week online courses, you’ll build your theoretical knowledge and foundational technical skills quickly – completing your certificate in as few as 15 months. Plus, in your final year of study you’ll get hands-on learning in a simulated skills lab, as well as on-site clinical residency experience in an approved healthcare setting.
The School of Nursing faculty will collaborate with you to secure your residency placement, however, you should plan to be ready with a site and a preceptor upon notification of acceptance so that you can get started right away on any coursework that involves a clinical rotation. While you’re probably familiar with potential clinical sites available in your area, two great options to start with are practices that are owned and managed by your employer and smaller MD/NP/DO-owned practices. Once you identify a site, we’ll help you obtain site and preceptor approval, as well as ensure that the necessary paperwork is finalized.
Ideally, placement arrangements are identified six months in advance and formally confirmed no later than two weeks before the first clinical course. So, depending on when you start your clinical rotations, this could be during the first term.
Apply and practice your technical skills as you learn
Throughout the PMH-CERT program, you’ll learn and practice your newfound technical skills in a simulated lab environment. Later, you’ll refine your skills with a real-world internship that lets you put learned theories into clinical practice to provide comprehensive nursing care.
As part of an interviewing and mental health assessment lab, you’ll focus on treatment modalities for individual, group and family psychotherapy including observation, interviewing skills, mental health assessments and screening mechanisms. By building your familiarity with the most current edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders (DSM 5), you’ll learn to formulate a differential diagnosis and pair it with age-appropriate, evidence-based psychotherapeutic treatment.
Save time and tuition with a transfer-friendly, post-graduate PMHNP Certificate program
If you qualify for transfer credit, you could graduate up to 9 months faster. To be eligible for up to 12 hours of transfer credit, credit hours must be from an accredited MSN program. Common sources of transfer credit include standard graduate-level courses like advanced pathophysiology, advanced pharmacology and advanced physical assessment, as long as they have been completed within 3 to 5 years of your enrollment in Franklin’s PMHNP Certificate program. Talk with an admissions advisor to see if you may benefit from transfer credit based on previously earned MSN credit.
Earn your PMHNP certificate from a university built for busy adults
Earn your PMHNP certificate on your terms by taking classes 100% online. Accredited and nonprofit, Franklin was built from the ground-up to satisfy the needs of adult learners. Our seamless transfer process and team of academic advisors will help ease your transition to becoming a student, while our flexible course schedules help to balance your education with work, family and life. Get started on your future today.
The Doctor of Nursing Practice program and post-graduate APRN certificate program at Franklin University are pursuing initial accreditation by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education. Applying for accreditation does not guarantee that accreditation will be granted.
As part of the initial accreditation for the programs, a CCNE on-site evaluation is scheduled for Sept. 28-30, 2022.
In accordance with CCNE’s procedures, program constituents and other interested parties are invited to submit comments prior to the evaluation. All written third-party comments regarding Franklin University’s Doctor of Nursing Practice program or post-graduate APRN certificate program must be received by CCNE by Wednesday, September 7, 2022.
Third-party comments should be submitted to thirdpartycomments@ccneaccreditation.org
CCNE requires that all third-party comments be written in English. Comments are shared only with members of the evaluation team prior to their on-site review of the programs. At no time during the review process are these comments shared with the University. Thank you for your participation in this important process.
