Advanced Certificate Program

An advanced certificate in Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner will prepare students to assess, diagnose and manage acute and chronic mental health conditions across all ages as they provide care to individuals, families and groups that includes prescriptive and counseling roles.

D’Youville College’s program is designed for students who have already earned a Master’s degree in nursing and are prepared to take a leadership role as a member of the mental health care team with prescriptive privileges to provide a holistic, patient-centered approach to patients facing mental health problems.

Full-time graduate students may register for 9-12 credit hours per semester. Part-time students register for less than 9 credits per semester. Summer sessions are not counted as semesters.

Students generally complete their coursework in 2.5 - 3 years of study. Courses must be taken in the sequence indicated by the prerequisites. There are a total of 540 clinical hours of which a minimum of 100 clinical hours must be completed with a nurse practitioner preceptor.

The Master of Science degree and the Post-Master’s certificate in  Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner may be completed on a full or part-time basis; students who work full-time will not be considered for a two-year completion plan. Classes are offered in a low-residency single day format based on course sequencing. Clinical preceptorships are scheduled as available during daytime and/or evening hours on days when classes are not in session.

As a graduate of the program, students will be prepared to take the exam for board certification through the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) to further demonstrate your expertise in the mental health field.

If you’re interested in advancing your career by obtaining an advanced certificate in Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, D’Youville College’s nursing program is an ideal place to learn. Established in 1942, the School of Nursing has earned a reputation as a leading resource in the region for high-quality, student-centered education.

Technical, professional, and behavioral standards for all Nurse Practitioner students are covered in detail in the Graduate Nursing Student Handbook. All standards apply to MS and Post-graduate APRN students.

Please refer to the general Academic Policies and Procedures section of this catalog for health, C.P.R., and malpractice insurance requirements. Students must register with CastleBranch for their document repository. Students must also read and acknowledge the Criminal History and Background Check policy.

Course Requirements for the Major

An individual gap analysis of student transcripts will be done for nurse practitioners to determine courses from their previous programs that may be given credit.

Admission Requirements

In addition to the general admission requirements for the graduate programs at D'Youville College, applicants to the post-master's certificate in psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner must present the following:

1. Completed online graduate application for admissions (no application fee).

2. Completed masters of science degree in nursing from a CCNE or NLNAC (ACEN) accredited program at a college or university in the US (or by the CNO in Ontario).

3. Evidence of capability to succeed in a graduate program based on an overall GPA of at least a 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale). Canadian students must submit a ‘course-by-course’ evaluation (or equivalent) of all Canadian college and/or university transcripts through the World Education Services (WES) or other approved foreign transcript evaluation agencies.

4. All official graduate transcripts. If health assessment, pathophysiology, and pharmacology courses were taken at the undergraduate level those official transcripts must be submitted.

5. GPA for admissions decisions:

     A. GPA of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) or greater is required for unconditional admission to master’s programs

     B. GPA of 2.75-2.99 is eligible for provisional admission status. Students must successfully complete two faculty determined graduate courses with a grade of B or better in the first semester to attain full admission in the second semester of study.  Students who earn a grade less than B will not be permitted to repeat the course and will be ineligible to continue in the program.

     C. Applicants with a GPA of 2.70-2.74 and a baccalaureate degree in nursing earned more than five years ago and who have achieved significant professional success as documented on curricula vitae are eligible for consideration of provisional admission.

6. Active, unencumbered licensure as a registered nurse in New York state or Ontario if Canadian.

7. Current CPR Certification with psychomotor component.

8. At least one year of experience as a registered nurse in psych-mental health or a related field is require

9. A descriptive statistics course or equivalent with a grade of C or better. 

10. Optional: Applicants who wish to strengthen their submission packet are encouraged to submit two references on clinical performance with one reference from a professional with an advanced degree attesting to the clinical knowledge, skills, leadership and the ability to be a good applicant. Other acceptable references include supervisor, manager or former professor. 

11. Optional: Applicants who wish to strengthen their submission packet are encouraged to submit a writing assignment on their philosophy of nursing, 2 pages in length, double space and 12-point font that includes philosophy of nursing focused on past experience, what influencing nursing has had on your career, why you chose to pursue this degree, how you see this degree enhancing your career and how you will utilize this degree to advance patient care and health care outcomes.

12. A student who meets the entry requirements and is currently enrolled or previously enrolled in the Nurse Practitioner program or Doctor of Nursing Practice program at another college or university, must obtain a letter from that School of Nursing stating that the student is in good standing, not on probation, and able to register for classes. Students who were dismissed from a graduate or doctoral program will not be considered for admission.

13. PMHNP is not a recognized credential for Extended Class Advanced Practice Certification as a nurse practitioner in Ontario.

Academic Regulations

In addition to the general academic regulations, all matriculated students in the nurse practitioner program must fulfill these requirements:

1. Completion of 40 credit-hours (master of science) or 30 credit-hours (postmaster’s certificate) as required.
2. Students on academic probation are limited to six credits per semester while on probation.
   1. Students in Graduate Nursing Programs are expected to maintain a cumulative and semester GPA of 3.0. Students who do not maintain this GPA will be reviewed by the Progression and Retention Committee for academic consequences. A student who has less than a 3.0 GPA in either semester or cumulative, at any time will be placed on academic probation for the next semester or summer session. At the end of the probation period, the student’s file will be reviewed by the program Graduate Progression and Retention committee. If the student’s cumulative or semester GPA is a minimum of 3.0, the student will be removed from probation.
   2.  If the student does not achieve the 3.0 cumulative or semester GPA after a first probation, the graduate progression and retention committee may consider a second semester of probation. If a minimum of 3.0 GPA (cumulative or semester) is not achieved after a second probation, the student will automatically be ineligible to continue in their program.
   3. A student will be allowed probationary status for no more than two semesters during the entire graduate program. The student will automatically be ineligible to continue in their program if in excess of two semesters.
3. Students cannot register for clinical courses in the N.P. program until formally accepted into the program.
4. Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner students are required to receive at least a B in all courses required for the PMHNP certificate. Students who receive less than a B, including a B-, C+, C or lower in these courses, will have to repeat that course, will be placed on probation and cannot take any of the clinical practicum courses until they raise their grade in the applicable course to at least a B. They are also limited to six credits while on probation.
5. Student responsibilities: The nurse practitioner program is a demanding program in coursework, time, commitment and financial obligation. Due to these responsibilities for the program, students should seriously evaluate the impact that employment may have on their clinical performance and academic progress.