Program Quick Facts
100% Online
Study online while you continue to work in the nursing field.
Professional Preparation
Qualify to apply for a California nurse practitioner license.
Deepen Your Faith
Build a strong spiritual foundation through Christ-centered education.
Serve Diverse Populations With Patient-Centered Mental Health Care
You became a nurse because you care about people and your community. You’ve seen firsthand the impact of mental health challenges, and you feel called to do more. Now, you have the opportunity to step into a vital role — providing compassionate, evidence-based care to those struggling with psychiatric and mental health disorders.
At Vanguard University, our Master of Science in Nursing: Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (MSN-PMHNP) program is designed for registered nurses ready to step into a critical role in mental health care. This 100% online, 2.5-year program equips you with the advanced clinical skills you need to provide holistic, evidence-based care for children, adolescents, adults, and older adults. Upon graduation, you’ll be prepared to sit for the board certification exam from the American Nurses Credentialing Center and apply for your Nurse Practitioner license through the California Board of Registered Nursing.
You don’t have to navigate this journey alone. Learn from credentialed healthcare experts who care about your professional, personal, and spiritual growth. Our blended synchronous and independent learning model provides you both flexibility and a supportive community to guide you every step of the way. Through our rewarding mentorship, convenient online format, and unique emphasis on spiritual care, you’ll have the opportunity to advance your nursing career while experiencing transformational growth.
The need is great. The time is now. If you’re ready to make a lasting impact, take the first step and apply today.
Career Outcomes
According to the California Health Care Foundation, as many as 50% of Californians with mental illness are not receiving psychiatric care. Make an impact here in California — and prepare to help vulnerable patients —by becoming a mental health specialist nurse.
The MSN: Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner program at Vanguard University equips you with a holistic approach to patient healing, preparing you for a variety of rewarding, in-demand careers:
- Convalescent homes
- Federally qualified health centers
- Forensic facilities
- Outpatient clinics
- Pediatric clinics
- Private emergency departments
- State hospitals
- Telehealth
- Travel nursing
I really needed a program that was not only flexible, but really cared about me and my success. Vanguard is exactly that!
– Meghan Reahm, ’22
Our MSN: Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner program gives you the opportunity to earn your Master of Science in Nursing while qualifying you to apply for a California nurse practitioner license and sit for the PMHNP certification exam. Through synchronous and asynchronous course components — alongside valuable clinical experiences — you’ll master the essential guidelines you need to serve diverse populations with cultural competence. Along the way, you’ll learn how to implement optimal interventions with evidence-based practice, spiritual guidance, and moral courage.
Upon completion of the MSN: Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner program, you will be prepared to:
- Demonstrate advanced performance in clinical practice and critical thinking as an advanced practice psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner through a faith-based perspective
- Implement and evaluate safe and effective interventions that provide person-centered care in the early identification and prevention of psychiatric illnesses and improved mental health using psychopharmacologic and nonpharmacologic strategies and modalities based on a holistic approach
- Integrate and critically appraise research evidence to develop clinical practice guidelines, promote diverse treatment strategies, and improve mental health outcomes for diverse populations
- Synthesize evidence-based practice, ethical principles, spiritual care, and biopsychosocial theories to optimize health outcomes and manage mental health disorders across the lifespan
- Plan, implement, and evaluate health care policies and delivery systems that provide innovative quality care to target the resolution of social issues and concerns related to the mental health of individuals and populations
- Exemplify practitioner professionalism through self-care and wellness interventions in areas of personal spirituality, physical and psychological health, work-life balance, life-long learning, and the promotion of healthy work environments
- Demonstrate leadership, interprofessional partnerships and collaboration, and culturally competent care to reduce health disparities by advocating recovery principles in individuals and groups that positively impact care delivery and outcomes
- Incorporate and employ innovative technologies within various mental health care delivery systems in meeting unique and complex population needs
The Master of Science in Nursing: Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner program consists of 52 total units and offers Fall and Spring term starts.
| Sample Courses | Credits |
|---|---|
| CNSG 618: Advanced Concepts in Pathophysiology | 3 Credits |
| NURS 501: Theoretical Frameworks of Leadership | 2 Credits |
| NURS 506: Diversity, Social, and Global Issues in Health Promotion and Disease Prevention | 2 Credits |
| PNSG 620: The Role of the PMHNP in Psychiatric Assessment | 2 Credits |
| PNSG-631: Interventions and Mental Health Promotion Across the Lifespan | 2 Credits |
At Vanguard University, you will experience personalized instruction paired with a strong spiritual foundation that fosters knowledge, cultivates character and deepens faith. Our Christian professor-mentors will prepare you to make meaningful contributions in your profession and community, equipping you to lead a Spirit-empowered life of Christ-centered leadership and service.
Accreditation
