Post-Graduate Certificate in Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing

This Post-Graduate certificate program has a focus on advanced practice psychiatric mental health nursing as a specialty area. A multi-theoretical model is used to examine issues relevant to mental health and illness throughout the life-span. The program prepares students to provide comprehensive and integrative psychiatric mental health care to those in need of psychiatric services, as well as those who are at risk. The program has 18 graduate level academic credits of mental health disorers and theory, psychopharmacology therapies, and supervised clinical experiences in three psycho-therapeutic treatment modalities (individual, group and family) and encompasses treatment across the life-span, from childhood through senescence.

The program is available to any board certified nurse practitioner holding an MSN degree and is particularly relevant to:

• Family, Adult Gerontology Acute Care, Adult Gerontology Primary Care, or Pediatric Nurse Practitioners who wish to prepare for a second certification in Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing.

Career Opportunities
Advanced practice psychiatric mental health nurses have multiple and diverse career opportunities including providing care in large health care organizations and in the community. Graduates of the program are prepared to function independently and collaboratively with health care team members to provide comprehensive health care that will maximize patient care outcomes.

Certification and Accreditation
Completion of the program provides eligibility for certification as a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner by the American Nurses’ Association, American Nurses Credentialing Center, and for state licensure/certification where available.

Admissions

This program prepares graduates to function independently and collaboratively with healthcare team members to provide comprehensive and integrative psychiatric mental health care to those in need of psychiatric services, as well as those who are at risk of psychiatric experiences.  Graduates are eligible to take the PMHNP certification exam offered by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) as well as various state licensure/certification exams where available.

Note: All clinical experiences must be within the State of Florida so applicants must be able to complete their preceptorships within the State.

Program Basics and Deadlines

• Entry Term: Spring 2024
  • Length of Program: 3 semesters
  • Application Opens: February 1, 2023
  • Deadline: November 1, 2023

Application Portal

Applications for this program must be submitted through NursingCAS at http://www.nursingcas.org/.  Simply create an account, search for this program for your intended semester of entry, and complete the required steps to apply online. 

The University of Miami School of Nursing and Health Studies only reviews completed applications.  Be sure to monitor the status of your application by checking the “View My Notifications” and “Check Status” sections of NursingCAS and following up or responding appropriately to ensure all admission materials are submitted by the application deadline.

Questions about the NursingCAS application portal should be directed to NursingCAS.

Admission Requirements

1. Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from regionally-accredited institutions (Note: This must be able to be obtained prior to Orientation)
   
   • Degrees in nursing from NLN or CCNE accredited programs are preferred.
   • A board certified nurse practitioner (NP) track within the Master’s or Science in Nursing program is required.
   • Official transcripts for each institution attended must be mailed from the issuing institution’s Registrar directly to NursingCAS. NursingCAS cannot process transcripts that are stamped “Issued to Student.”  To expedite the process be sure to include the Transcript Request Form from the “Colleges Attended” section in “Academic History.”
   • Applicants are required to list all institutions attended in the “Colleges Attended” section under “Academic History” even if no degree was awarded.
   • Applicants with international transcripts should refer to the “Additional Requirements for International Transcripts” section below. International degrees must be equivalent to those in the U.S.
2. Minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 for the Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees
3. Minimum prerequisite coursework
   • Applicants must have at least three credits of graduate-level coursework in each of the following areas:
     • Advanced Pathophysiology
     • Advanced Pharmacology
     • Advanced Physical/Health Assessment
4. Two letters of recommendation, preferably from individuals with doctorates in nursing
   • At least one reference from an academic source.
   • Complete the "References" section to request electronic recommendations.
5. Statement of professional goals
   • Discuss the reasons for applying to the Post-Graduate PMHNP Certificate program at the University of Miami and how it fits into personal, educational, and professional goals.
   • Upload in the “Documents” tab under “Personal Statement.”
6. Current CV/resume
   • The CV/resume should include work and volunteer activities, licensures and other certifications, awards, professional organizations, and academic experiences.
   • Upload in the “Documents” tab under “CV/Resume.”
7. Current, unrestricted RN license to practice nursing in the State of Florida (Note: This must be able to be obtained prior to Orientation)
   
   • Upload in the “Documents” tab under “License.”
   • International students must have a United States Social Security number to obtain a Florida RN license.
8. National certification in a nursing specialty
   • Upload in the “Documents” tab under “Certification."

Admission Process: Rolling Admission

Applications are processed and reviewed on a continual basis.  Admission personnel start processing applications as soon as they are received and they release decisions as they are made by the admission committee.  Please note this process takes time.  While applications are processed on a rolling basis, we cannot guarantee an immediate admission decision; however, we guarantee that all applicants will receive an admission decision and that all applicants who apply by the specified deadline will be considered for a spot in our program.

Interviews

Interviews may be scheduled at the discretion of the faculty.  Interviews may be in person or via telephone or webcam.  Applicants are responsible to cover all associated travel expenses.

Additional Requirements for Non-U.S. Citizens and Non-U.S. Residents

Applicants must upload a copy of their passport in the “Documents” tab under “Other.”

Please note that the part-time nature of our part-time MSN/part-time MSN-to-DNP/Post-Master’s Certificate program may not meet the federal government’s Visa guidelines.  International applicants who must maintain full-time enrollment status to meet their Visa requirements are recommended to apply to our full-time MSN/full-time MSN-to-DNP program instead.

Additional Requirements for International Transcripts

Applicants (international and domestic) who have attended a college or university outside of the United States must request a course-by-course degree evaluation, complete with degree equivalency and GPA calculation information, by submitting all international transcripts and diplomas (if applicable) to one of the following approved evaluation services:

• World Education Services (WES)
• Josef Silny & Associates (JS&A)
• Educational Credential Evaluators (ECE)

Complete evaluations must be sent by the evaluation company directly to NursingCAS.  Copies of all official transcripts and diplomas must be included by the evaluation company when the evaluation is sent to NurisngCAS.

Applicants who use WES can request their completed evaluations be sent electronically to NursingCAS to post to their application.  Students who choose to send their complete evaluation to NursingCAS by mail must request it be sent directly by the evaluation company to NursingCAS, P.O. Box 9201, Watertown, MA 02471.

Note: Any foreign documents received by the School of Nursing and Health Studies become the property of the University of Miami and will not be returned to the applicant or sent to a third party, including third party evaluation services.

Additional Requirements for Applicants for whom English is not the Native Language

Applicants whose native language is not English must submit passing Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) scores--click here to view passing score. TOEFL scores should be sent directly to NursingCAS using code #B506. IELTS should be sent directly to the following address: University of Miami School of Nursing and Health Studies, Office of Student Services, P.O. Box 248153, Coral Gables, FL 33124-3850.  

Note: Students whose native language is not English but who attended and earned a degree from a regionally-accredited higher education institution in the United States are exempt from the TOEFL/IELTS requirement.

Additional Application and Admission Guidelines

Applicants are only permitted to apply to 1 program at the SONHS per application cycle (i.e., the same semester).

Applicants who are admitted to the program will be required to submit a $1,500 non-refundable deposit within two weeks of admission as outlined in the admission letter.  The deposit will be applied to tuition in students’ first semester of study.

Admission is contingent upon completion of all requirements outlined in the Certificate of Admission.  This includes a mandatory online pre-immersion course, valid immunizations, a negative drug test, and clearance of an FBI background check, and a BLS certification from the American Heart Association, among others.  Clinical rotations are a component of the nursing program and require that students have a background report without any infractions.  If a student’s background report contains any infractions, regardless of how they were resolved or adjudicated, his/her offer of admission will be rescinded.

Applications are reviewed on a case-by-case basis.  Faculty of the SONHS reserve the right to waive any requirement or request additional information at any time.

Post-Graduate Certificate Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Track
Plan of Study

First Semester: Spring 2024

Second Semester: Summer C 2024

Third Semester: Fall 2024

(C) = Clinical