Psychiatric & Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP)

The PMHNP majors prepare the graduate to work as an advanced practice nurse. The coursework prepares the student to sit for the national board certification exam from the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) to become a psychiatric/mental health nurse practitioner.

Our curriculum, beginning summer semester each year, is designed as an online program allowing you to study and participate in clinical experiences in your location. The clinical component comprises courses in wellness, therapy, and diagnosis and management of mental illness across the lifespan in outpatient and inpatient settings. Clinical courses are precepted by a practicing mental health professional in your community, arranged by the student with support from faculty and staff.

Upon successful completion of the requirements for certification, either the Master of Science in Nursing degree or the Post-Graduate Certificate is awarded to enable you to take the certification exam and begin working as an advanced practice nurse before you complete your doctorate. Recipients of the MSN may choose to continue for an additional year to complete a scholarly project that leads to the Doctor of Nursing practice degree. Graduates who wish to begin practicing upon earning their MSN degree may return within five years to complete their DNP.

Applications for admission are reviewed once per year by the Nursing Admission Review Committee. The most qualified applicants will be selected on a space-available basis. It may be necessary for some students to take undergraduate courses to meet prerequisites of selected graduate courses.

Candidates that do not meet all the admission criteria, but who wish to be considered for admission must submit a petition requesting special consideration along with their application materials.

Be prepared to meet critical mental health needs with confidence. Otterbein’s 2022 PMHNP graduates boast a 100% first-time pass rate on their licensing exam.

Apply Today >

Nursing Rfi Student

Flexible Program Options

Our flexible program completion pathways let you choose a timeline that works for you. You can even take a break after you complete the MSN and come back for your DNP at a later date. Explore a sample grid with each of these program options.

Learn more about our PMHNP Post-Graduate Certificate

Are you a nursing professional who has already earned an advanced nursing degree and you’re interested in earning credentials as a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner?

Joy Shoemaker

FACULTY SPOTLIGHT

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Our main goal is your success. At Otterbein, everyone wants to help you. When you decide what you want to do, we’ll be there to help you get through it.

Joy Shoemaker, DNP, APRN, CNP, FNP-BC, CNE

Associate Professor of Nursing

Learn more about Joy >

How to Apply

Application Deadlines

Program of Study Annual Deadline Starting Term
Family Nurse Practitioner
BSN to DNP (MSN included)
Post-Graduate Certificate
Rolling* until April 1st Summer
Psychiatric & Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
BSN to DNP (MSN included)
Post-Graduate Certificate
Rolling* until April 1st Summer
Master’s Degree to Doctor of Nursing Practice
Advanced Practice Focus
Nurse Executive Focus
Rolling* until April 1st Summer
Nurse Anesthesia
BSN to DNP August 1st Summer (yearly)
Associate’s Degree to Doctor of Nursing Practice, MSN Included
Family Nurse Practitioner, Associate’s Degree to DNP
Psychiatric & Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, Associate’s Degree to DNP
Not accepting applications at this time.

*Rolling – Application decisions will be made monthly, while seats remain available.

Application Process

  1. Complete the online application. Include your entire list of colleges/universities attended, and have your nursing license number ready. You do not need to log back into this application once submitted.
  2. Submit to gradadmit@otterbein.edu the following documents, preferably as an MS Word or PDF file:
    • A resume with all professional experience documented. Also include leadership activities, scholastic awards, nursing organizational memberships, and community service, as applicable.
    • The Admission Essay.
  3. Request from all institutions of higher education where you have earned credit, irrespective of number of courses taken, that an individual, official transcript be sent to The Graduate School, Otterbein University. They may be sent directly from the institution electronically to gradadmit@otterbein.edu.
  4. Please give an Otterbein University Graduate Nursing Recommendation Form to three individuals that can support your application to pursue graduate studies. Please choose a clinical supervisor, a peer (RN), and another clinician to complete and submit this form. You will complete the front of the form; your recommender will complete the back. Otterbein University reserves the right to contact persons providing recommendations and to contact a recommender to acknowledge receipt of a recommendation. Recommenders should email the form (required) and letter (optional) to gradadmit@otterbein.edu

Students must submit documentation of meeting health requirements – including completion of the American Heart Association Basic Life Support (BLS) curriculum – prior to starting classes, and must submit documentation of keeping health requirements current throughout their course of study.

Admission Criteria

  1. Baccalaureate degree in nursing from an institution of higher education that is fully accredited by the appropriate regional accrediting agency, and the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN), the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), or the National League for Nursing Commission for Nursing Education Accreditation (CHEA).
  2. A current valid and unrestricted license as a Registered Nurse in the U.S. In addition, an applicant must not have had a previous revocation, denial, suspension, or restriction of their license from any state or country. Current unrestricted licensure as a Registered Nurse in the state where the clinical experiences and the practice project will be conducted.
  3. Minimum of one (1) year paid clinical work experience within the past three years as a Registered Nurse before the application deadline, documented on the submitted resume. Clinical work experience including direct care in a public health, community, hospital, or ambulatory care setting that serves patients across the life span is recommended.
  4. Evidence of capacity for graduate study.
    • A blended cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale for all previous course work on the submitted transcripts;
    • A Science GPA of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale comprising grades in anatomy, physiology, pathophysiology, microbiology, statistics, and chemistry courses;
    • Positive professional recommendations; and
    • Completion of an undergraduate- or graduate-level statistics course with a grade of B or better.
  5. Ability to articulate one’s professional goals, evidenced by the Admission Essay and faculty interview, with applicant’s goals congruent with the objectives and resources of the Otterbein University Department of Nursing. The essay should:
    • summarize the applicant’s professional background;
    • describe the role of the Psychiatric & Mental Health Nurse Practitioner and clinical areas of interest;
    • discuss professional and career goals, and how these goals can be achieved in the educational program, as well as ideas for the final scholarly project; and
    • describe past experiences and reflections that have influenced these goals.

    The essay should be carefully planned, written, and edited by the applicant.

After review of the written materials, a selected pool of applicants will be required to participate in a faculty interview.

The following experiences are not criteria for selection, but are highly recommended:

  • Demonstrated facility with computer-based office productivity tools, including word processing, electronic mail, and spreadsheet manipulation. This may be achieved by completing one or more of several online tutorials and face-to-face workshops; and
  • Demonstrated facility with the most recent version of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (aka APA style). This may be achieved by taking one of several available tutorials, including the APA Tutorial available at the APA Website.

Tuition & Financial Aid

Program Tuition Estimates

The following fees are for tuition only. Additional lab, resource, and technology fees can be found on the fee schedule on the Business Office websiteAcceptance deposit fees that are credited towards tuition are: Nurse Anesthesia $1,000; all other degrees and certificates $500. Costs subject to slight increases each academic year.

Graduate Nursing Program MSN Tuition Estimate DNP Tuition Estimate
BSN to MSN/DNP
Family Nurse Practitioner, BSN to MSN/DNP $28,191 $46,989
Psychiatric & Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, BSN to MSN/DNP $36,144 $54,942
BSN to DNP
Nurse Anesthesia (Click here for more cost info for the NA major) $104,350
Master’s Degree to DNP
Advanced Practice Nurse Focus $23,136
Nurse Executive Focus $23,136
Post-Graduate Certificate
Family Nurse Practitioner $22,407
Psychiatric & Mental Health Nurse Practitioner $29,637
Graduate Nursing Tuition Fees per Credit Hour
5000- and 6000-Level Courses $650 per cr hr
7200-, 7300-, 7400-, 7500-, 7900-, and 8000-Level Courses $750 per cr hr
7600-, 7700-, and 7800-Level Courses $1,300 per cr hr

 

Payment Options

To help you manage your graduate school expenses Otterbein offers the ePay payment system and resources you may research for scholarship opportunities (see non-Otterbein Sources of Aid below). We recommend that you speak with the graduate financial aid counselor at 614-823-1379. See the Business Office site for information about ePay.

Graduate Nursing Financial Aid Options

Graduate students are eligible for consideration for a variety of scholarships and loans.

Non-Otterbein Sources of Aid

National Scholarship Opportunities

Ohio Scholarship Opportunities

Loan Repayment Opportunities

Otterbein Financial Aid

For information about financial aid available from Otterbein, see the Office of Student Financial Services site.

Curriculum Requirements

Total of 77 graduate credit hours (51 MSN). All courses are required.

Note: A minimum grade of B minus (B-) is required in all courses. Students must also maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0 out of 4.0 throughout the program.

Advanced Practice Core Courses
NURS 6810 3 hrs Advanced Pathophysiology for the Advanced Practice Nurse
NURS 6820 3 hrs Advanced Pharmacology for the Advanced Practice Nurse
NURS 6830 3 hrs Advanced Physical & Health Assessment for the Advanced Practice Nurse
Doctor of Nursing Practice Core Courses
NURS 7210 3 hrs Knowledge Building for the Doctor of Nursing Practice
NURS 7220 3 hrs Evidence-Based Practice & Informatics for the Doctor of Nursing Practice
NURS 7230 3 hrs Biostatistics & Epidemiology for the Doctor of Nursing Practice
NURS 7240 3 hrs Quality Practice for the Doctor of Nursing Practice
NURS 7250 3 hrs Policy & Politics for the Doctor of Nursing Practice
NURS 7260 3 hrs Leadership for the Doctor of Nursing Practice
Psychiatric & Mental Health Advanced Practice Nursing Core Courses
NURS 7310 3 hrs Psychopharmacology & Prescribing
NURS 7320 3 hrs Neurobiology & Psychopathology
NURS 7330 3 hrs Psychiatric Diagnosis & Management: Adults
NURS 7340 3 hrs Systems Interventions: Individuals & Families
NURS 7350 3 hrs Psychiatric Diagnosis & Management: Children
NURS 7410 4 hrs Advanced Practice Psychiatric & Mental Health Nursing: The Role in Health Delivery
& Promotion
NURS 7420 7 hrs Clinical Psychiatric Internship I
NURS 7430 7 hrs Clinical Psychiatric Internship II
NURS 7440 7 hrs Clinical Psychiatric Internship III
Doctor of Nursing Practice Project Courses
NURS 7920 1-10 hrs Final Scholarly Project for the Doctor of Nursing Practice – Supervised Study
Note: NURS 7920 is taken multiple times for variable credit.
NURS 7940 3 hrs Doctor of Nursing Practice I
NURS 7950 6 hrs Doctor of Nursing Practice II – Advanced Practice Nurse Focus
NURS 8000 5 hrs Doctor of Nursing Practice III

DNP Student Learning Outcomes & University Learning Goals (KMERI*)

Student Learning Outcomes University Learning Goals (KMERI*)
1. Integrate nursing science with knowledge from the natural and social sciences as a basis for the highest level of nursing practice. Knowledge
2. Provide organizational and systems leadership in advanced nursing practice roles to improve patient and health care outcomes, through advocacy and implementation of management and quality improvement strategies. Responsible
3. Provide leadership for evidence-based practice, through translation of research for practice, dissemination of research findings, application of research findings, implementation of quality improvement methodologies, evaluation of practice outcomes, and participation in collaboration research. Inquisitive
4. Demonstrate proficiency in the utilization and evaluation of information systems/technology resources for knowledge application, management of individual and aggregate data, and quality improvement. Knowledgeable
5. Provide leadership in the analysis, development, implementation and evaluation of healthcare policies, congruent with advocacy for social justice, equity and ethics in global health care. Multi-literate, Responsible
6. Employ effective communication, collaboration and leadership skills with individuals, groups and teams to facilitate problem solving and team functioning for improvement in health care and health care delivery. Engaged
7. Analyze epidemiological, bio-statistical, environmental and other appropriate data for developing, implementing and evaluating clinical prevention and population health interventions. Inquisitive
8. Demonstrate advanced levels of clinical judgment in designing, implementing and evaluating therapeutic interventions to improve patient and/or health care outcomes. Knowledgeable
9. Analyze the legal, ethical, economic, and professional functions of the APN. Multi-literate, Inquisitive
10. Integrate caring behaviors and patterns including cultural competence and attention to underserved regional and global individuals and groups into ANP roles. Engaged, Responsible

MSN Student Learning Outcomes & University Learning Goals (KMERI*)

Student Learning Outcomes University Learning Goals (KMERI*)
1. Synthesize knowledge from nursing and relevant fields of study as a basis for an advanced nursing role. Knowledgeable
2. Use the nursing process to perform the independent, collaborative, multifaceted functions of an advanced nursing role to optimize health care outcomes. Engaged
3. Demonstrate critical thinking when making decisions regarding the delivery of quality, cost-effective, culturally relevant health care to individuals or populations. Responsible
4. Analyze the legal, political, ethical, financial, and professional functions of advanced nursing roles. Inquisitive
5. Examine the implications of health care issues, health care delivery systems and informatics on nursing. Multi-literate
6. Provide leadership in advanced nursing roles through advocacy and change management within the health care delivery system. Multi-literate
7. Integrate caring behaviors and patterns into advanced nursing roles. Engaged
8. Apply the body of nursing knowledge through systematic inquiry, professional standards of care, and evidence-based practice. Knowledgeable, Responsible

*NOTE: KMERI refers to Otterbein's learning goals. It stands for KnowledgeableMulti-literateEngagedResponsible, and Inquisitive. To learn more about KMERI, visit our University Learning Goals page.