The Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner program focuses on the promotion of mental health for individuals, families and groups across the life span. Students are provided a strong foundation in psychiatric assessment and diagnosis, therapeutic communication and interventions, pharmacology, psychopharmacology using best practices and evidence in all interventions. Additional coursework emphasizes the community mental health systems of care and policy affecting care, health promotion in vulnerable populations, and the development and current role of the PMHNP in the health care system. Students complete an improvement science project relevant to their clinical practicum system or population.

Supervised clinical experiences (1,000 hours) across the lifespan are required and made available in a variety of settings. Clinical settings in the community mental health system and in programs serving the severely mentally ill population are emphasized as part of the clinical experience.

At the completion of the OHSU School of Nursing psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner program, the graduate will demonstrate not only the general DNP student learning outcomes but also the following PMHNP outcomes:

1. Integrate and apply APRN/PMHNP knowledge to diagnostic and clinical reasoning.
2. Provide person centered psychiatric mental health care, within the context of the therapeutic relationship that is developed collaboratively with individuals, families, and groups.
3. Utilize evidence based best practices to design, implement, and evaluate psychiatric mental health care to improve health, enhance quality, and minimize risk for individuals and systems.
4. Demonstrate effective and efficient use of information technologies and other strategies to communicate within the health care system.
5. Demonstrate a reflective practice to establish a foundation for teamwork, life-long learning, and sustainable professional practice.
6. Demonstrate systems leadership in the mobilization of strengths and resources as well as the development of partnerships to improve access, promote health, and combat mental health disparity within vulnerable populations.
7. Demonstrate a professional identity with fidelity to the scope and standards of PMH nursing that is reflected in interprofessional relationships.

Graduates from the program are eligible for licensure as PMHNPs in the state of Oregon by the Oregon State Board of Nursing and may apply for national certification.