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College of Nursing
White Hall
39 Butterfield Road
Kingston, RI 02881-2021
Phone: 401-874-2766
Email: nurse@etal.uri.edu

Clinical Nurse Specialist in Psychiatric-Mental Health

This program is currently ON HOLD

The College of Nursing at the University of Rhode Island offers a Master of Science degree with a psychiatric-mental health nursing area of emphasis. Its purpose is to educate clinical nurse specialists in psychiatric-mental health for roles in advanced clinical practice, education, consultation, leadership, and research. This curriculum provides the educational preparation required for ANCC certification.

Curriculum

The Clinical Nurse Specialist in Psychiatric-Mental Health curriculum consists of courses totaling 41 semester credit hours. Of these, 14 credits are in nursing core courses consisting of concepts and theories in nursing practice, research, leadership and role development. In addition, 15 credits of advanced psychiatric-mental health nursing courses, 9 credits of support courses and one elective (3 credits) are required. In some cases, students may elect to combine this curriculum with another specialization (e.g. administration or education) or area of emphasis (e.g. gerontological clinical nurse specialist). The program culminates with a written comprehensive examination and the submission of a substantial scholarly work involving significant independent study which is referred to as the major paper. This requirement is an extension of work completed from prior coursework in the master's program.

Download the Curriculum Sheet (PDF)

Download the Curriculum Sheet for Child/Adolescent PMH (PDF)

Required Nursing Core Courses (14 credits)

NUR 500 - Theoretical Study of the Phenomena in Nursing (4 credits)
NUR 505 - Nursing Research (3 credits)
NUR 507 - Theories of Practice for Nursing (3 credits)
NUR 510 - Advanced Leadership in the Health Policy Process (3 credits)
NUR 520 - Graduate Study Seminar (1 credit)

Required Courses for Nursing Education (15 credits)

NUR 511 - Advanced Mental Health Nursing I (3 credits)
Investigation of theories of healthy and psychopathological patterns of individual behavior from a mental health perspective.

NUR 512 - Practicum in Advanced Mental Health Nursing I (3 credits)
Field experience to develop competence in the practice of advanced mental health nursing. Emphasis on application of relevant theories in solving individual's mental health problems.

NUR 515 - Practicum in Advanced Mental Health Nursing (3 credits)
Field experience to further develop increased competence in the practice of mental health nursing intervention. Requires a summer commitment.

NUR 516 - Advanced Mental Health Nursing II (3 credits)
Theoretical analysis of current modes of advanced mental health intervention in order to explain strategies for solution of family, group, and community problems.

NUR 517 - Advanced Mental Health Nursing II (3 credits)
Field experience to develop increased competence in the practice of mental health nursing in providing client care, consultation, education and research.

Support Courses (9 credits)

NUR 503 Expanded Nursing Assessment Skills (3 credits)
Expansion of nursing assessment skills, including health history taking and physical, psychological, and social assessment skills.

NUR 519 Psychophamacotherapeutics for Advanced Practice Nursing (3 credits)
Integration of psychopharmacotherapeutics and decision making with human pathophysiology.

PSY 601 Physiological Psychology (3 credits)
An advanced consideration of physiological research on neural, endocrine, and response systems as they relate to attention, motivation, emotion, memory, and psychological disorders.

Clinical Practice

Clinical practice is available in a variety of settings - hospitals, HMO's, community mental health centers, VNAs. Clinical supervision is provided by advanced practice nurses and other professional faculty. Students care for clients with increasingly complex needs and expand their roles to include consultation, education, research and leadership as they progress in the program. The practicum experiences are planned with the student, taking into consideration the student's interests, learning needs and career goals.

Certificate Option

The post-master's certificate option consists of courses totaling a minimum 18 credits including NUR 511, 512, 515, 516, 517, 519.

Transportation

A car is necessary to reach the various clinical practice locations in the cities and rural areas. A local bus service connects the University to most major health service facilities, shopping, and service centers, but the bus routes and schedules may not always be convenient for the graduate student.

Admission Requirements

Admission to the Graduate School.
Minimum GPA of 3.0.
Two letters of recommendation (academic and professional).
Curriculum vita.
Completion of MAT or GRE with a satisfactory score.
Baccalaureate degree in nursing accredited by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing or the National League for Nursing with an upper-division major in nursing.
Eligibility for R.N. licensure in Rhode Island.
Undergraduate statistics course prior to NUR 505.
Registered nurses with non-nursing baccalaureate degrees will be evaluated on an individual basis. Completion or challenge of upper-division nursing courses is required prior to acceptance into the master's program.