Faculty Coordinator:
Merrie Kaas, DNSc, RN
612-626-3781 or kaasx002@umn.edu
Specialty Area Information:
Graduate studies in Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing prepare nurses to assume clinical nurse specialist roles with an emphasis on providing direct patient care to persons with major mental disorders and their families. Coursework focuses on the development of advanced practice nursing knowledge and skills required to provide both psychotherapeutic and biological interventions for the management of acute and chronic psychiatric symptoms with a variety of patients in diverse settings. Coursework integrates extant theories and research in the study of advanced health assessment, psychopathology assessment, psychopharmacology, and individual family and group therapy within various community and institutional systems.
Clinical emphasis is on secondary and tertiary psychiatric interventions and outcomes within a managed care context. There are approximately 540 clinical hours. Students are clinically preceptored by certified psychiatric-mental health clinical nurse specialists. Clinical experiences are available in outpatient clinics, community mental health centers, hospitals, schools and home care agencies. Full-time or part-time students may enroll in the area of study. Current psychiatric nursing experience is strongly encouraged. Application deadline is November 1.
Graduates will be academically prepared to take the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) certification examination for certified specialists in psychiatric-mental health nursing, after obtaining additional required post-master's clinical hours and supervision. Upon certification, graduates will be able to obtain prescriptive authority.
Please click on the links below to learn more about our program.
For more information, please contact the Office of Student Services.