Family Psychiatric & Mental Health
Nurse Practitioner

Application deadline dates for this specialty are April 1 for summer-fall  admission and September 1 for spring admission. Part-time and post master's completion available. Click here for answers to some FAQ's about the Family Psych-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Specialty.

The Family Psychiatric and Mental Health Nurse Practitioner specialty prepares advanced practice nurses to provide primary mental health care including the diagnosis of mental illness, medication management, family therapy, group therapy, brief psychotherapy, play therapy, social skills training, and mental health promotion. After completing the Masters program, students will be eligible to sit for national certification as a Family Psychiatric and Mental Health Nurse Practitioner.

Graduates of the Family Psychiatric and Mental Health Nurse Practitioner specialty will be able to work in a variety of settings including community mental health facilities, psychiatric impatient units, hospital emergency rooms, long-term care facilities, mental health clinics, shelters for vulnerable populations, private psychiatric practices, and prisons.

The curriculum leading to the Master of Nursing Science degree can be completed through a full-time or part-time plan of study. Courses can be taken on-line and practicum experiences can be arranged in the student’s geographic location. Full-time study requires a minimum of 10 semester hours per semester. The number of semester hours for the Family Psychiatric and Mental Health Nurse Practitioner specialty is 44. Under the Graduate School policy, a maximum of six (6) consecutive calendar years from date of first enrollment is allowed for completion of all degree requirements.

General Core Courses (11 semester hours)

• NUSC 5003: Theory in Nursing
• NUSC 5013: Research Methodology
• NUSC 5023: Research in Advanced Nursing Practice
• NUSC 5121: Advanced Professional Practice Management
• NUSC 5111: Introduction to Professional Practice Management

Family Psychiatric & Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (33 semester hours)

• NUSC 5033: Advanced Physiology & Pathophysiology
• NUSC 5043: Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics in Advanced Nursing Practice 
• NUSC 5052: Community Concepts in Advanced Practice Nursing
• NUSC 5201: Advanced Health Assessment and Diagnostic Reasoning Practicum
• NUSC 5222: Advanced Health Assessment and Diagnostic Reasoning Theory
• NUSC 5913:  Family Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing Theory I
• NUSC 5921: Family Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing Practicum I
• NUSC 5923: Family Psychiatric & Mental Health Nursing Diagnosis &
  Psychopharmacology
• NUSC 5933: Family Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing Theory II
• NUSC 5943: Family Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing Theory III
• NUSC 5953: Family Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing Practicum II
• NUSC 5963: Family Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing Theory IV
• NUSC 5962: Family Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing Practicum III
• NUSC 5991: Comprehensive Examination
   

Family Psychiatric & Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
Full-Time Program of Study
(Revised 4/05)

*2000 hours of clinical experience is required before taking these courses.

Note:  Family Psychiatric & Mental Health Nurse Practitioner post-master's programs of
study are developed individually for each student based on their past educational
experiences.

Family Psychiatric & Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
Part-Time Program of Study
(Revised 4/05)

 *2000 hours of clinical experience is required before taking these courses.

Click here for answers to frequently asked questions.

 Contact Interim Specialty Coordinator, Louanne Lawson, PhD, RN
if you have questions about the above:
Office Phone - (501) 661-7901
E-mail: lawsonlouanne@uams.edu