Post-MSN Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Certification

Program Director: Rosie Taylor-Lewis

The Post-MSN Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) Certificate is a 31-credit-hour, hybrid program designed to prepare registered nurses who already have a graduate degree in nursing to deliver comprehensive, evidence-based mental health care across the lifespan. Grounded in the AACN Essentials (2021) and aligned with the NONPF NP Role Core Competencies, the curriculum emphasizes advanced clinical reasoning, psychotherapeutic modalities, psychopharmacology, diagnostic assessment, and integrated care for individuals, families, and communities. Students complete 750 hours of supervised clinical practicum experiences in diverse psychiatric and behavioral health settings, applying advanced practice competencies in real-world environments. Offered in both full-time and part-time pathways, the program equips graduates with the knowledge, skills, and professional formation needed to practice as competent and compassionate PMHNPs and prepares them for national board certification as a Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner.

Accreditation

The Post-MSN Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) Certificate is fully accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (www.ccneaccreditation.org).

Program Mission

The mission of the Post-MSN Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) Certificate at Mary Baldwin University’s Murphy Deming College of Health Sciences School of Nursing is to prepare compassionate, competent, and culturally responsive advanced practice nurses who provide holistic, evidence-based mental health care across the lifespan. Guided by the MBU mission of fostering inclusive and purpose-driven learning, and the School of Nursing’s commitment to advancing the profession through excellence in education, practice, and leadership, the PMHNP track equips graduates to address the growing behavioral health needs of individuals, families, and communities—particularly those in underserved and rural areas.

See Post-MSN Certificate Main Page for additional Post-MSN Certificate academic policies

Application Deadline

Rolling admissions up to 2 weeks before start of term (in NursingCAS).

Admission Requirements

The following criteria are considered when reviewing all graduate applications for admission:

1. Current unrestricted RN license in the Commonwealth of Virginia or state participating in the National
   Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (NC-SARA)
2. Curriculum Vitae
3. Personal Statement
4. Official transcripts
5. Completion of undergraduate or graduate courses on Evidence-Based Practice and basic Statistics with a grade of “C” or higher
6. Earned BSN from an accredited CCNE or ACEN School of Nursing with a GPA of 3.0 or above on a 4.0 scale
7. Minimum of one year (2,080 hours) of full-time nursing experience
8. Current BLS certification

Post-MSN (Current Nurse Practitioner):

1. Earned MSN from an accredited CCNE or ACEN School of Nursing with a GPA of 3.0 or above on a 4.0 scale
2. Current Nurse Practitioner (NP) certification from a US National Certifying Board.
3. The “3 Ps” – the applicant does not need to repeat Advanced Pathophysiology, Advanced Pharmacology or Advanced Health Assessment if the courses were taken within 5 years of their admission date OR the applicant must be actively practicing as an NP with relevant experience. 
4. Those who do not meet the criteria to transfer the 3 Ps may test out using the APEA 3 P exam with a minimum score of 67% across all 3 domains. The cost of taking the exam is the responsibility of the applicant.

Post-MSN (non-NP):

1. Earned MSN from an accredited CCNE or ACEN School of Nursing with a GPA of 3.0 or above on a 4.0 scale
2. Minimum of one year (2,080 hours) of full-time nursing experience

Note: Due to the competitive nature of the admission process applicants should understand that meeting the minimum requirements does not guarantee admission into the program. Applicants will be screened, and the most qualified individuals will be invited for an interview.

Transfer Criteria

Students transferring from another NP program must meet the same designated criteria for admissions. 

1. Up to 33% of NP course curriculum may be transferred at the discretion of the NP Program Director or NP Faculty Advisors. These courses are may not include the NP Didactic and Clinical Courses. 
2. Courses considered for transfer must have been taken at an accredited college or university and have earned an A or B. 

Program Progression

Students must meet all the progression requirements to progress in the NP Program.

1.  Requirements for progression – to progress through the NP Program, students must meet, achieve and/or maintain the following:

• A minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale
• No less than a “B” in any required NP Curriculum Course, including Advanced Pathophysiology, Advanced Health Assessment and Advanced Pharmacology 

2.  Once the NP student has begun the clinical practicum, they must be completed continuously, without any breaks, unless explicit permission is given by the NP Program Director and the faculty advisor. 

• Any NP didactic or clinical course that needs to be repeated, may result in the student repeating both the course that was “failed” and the correlating course. This is to keep the clinical experiences in sync with the learning of content.
• An NP course must be repeated if the student does not earn a B or above, or if given an unsatisfactory in a clinical course.

Academic Standing, Probation, Dismissal

Program progression is sequential and new content learned builds on previous semesters learning. Students must successfully complete each semester before progressing to the next. Students who fail to meet the requirements of the NP Program Progression Policy will be identified and placed on academic probation or dismissed from the program.

PROCEDURE: 
The NP Program students are responsible for initiating communication with faculty advisors if there is an area of concern to review student learning goals, review student time commitment, and review progress in the clinical practicum.

Requirements for program progression:
1.     A “Satisfactory” in all practicum courses.
2.     A minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.
3.     No less than a “B” in any required FNP course.
4.     A grade below a “C” in any course is considered a failing grade.

A student who does not maintain a 3.0 cumulative grade point average in all graduate courses at the end of any semester or receives a grade of “C” in a required NP course will be placed on academic probation during the following semester.  This includes all courses on the curriculum map. 

While the student is on academic probation, the student may enroll in all required courses outlined in their course of study. If the student does not achieve a cumulative grade point average above a 3.0 or receives a grade of “C” in a required NP course, the student may be dismissed from the NP program. A singular course may be repeated once. If the course is failed on the second attempt, the student may be dismissed from the program. 

A student may be placed on probation or dismissed from the NP Program for reasons not related to poor grades, even if the student is in good academic standing. Dismissal from the NP Program can occur due to, but is not limited to, the falsification of application materials, failure to satisfy stipulations needed for admission to the program, failure to maintain academic and ethical standards, academic integrity and failure to follow policies and procedures established by Mary Baldwin University, Murphy Deming College of Health Sciences, and the NP Program or failure to satisfy requirements set forth by the program in a timely fashion.

Dismissal from the NP Program as referenced above will occur on a case-by-case basis upon the recommendation of the Specific NP Program Director and the School of Nursing Director, and/or with the approval of the Dean of MDCHS.

The student must follow the Murphy Deming College of Health Sciences General Appeal Policy for appeal of grades or academic misconduct issues.

Department: Nursing
Type: Post-MSN Certificate