As a nurse practitioner with the critical care team at Hackensack University Medical Center, Ianina “Yana” Metcalf meets many people who touch her heart, but she’ll forever remember one man — a cardiac surgery patient at her previous hospital. Struggling with depression, he chose to forgo a life-sustaining device.
“Mental health is so undertreated,” says Metcalf, who’s pursuing a combined Post-Master’s Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) certificate and Doctor of Nursing Practice degree at Wilmington University. “I want mental health to be at the forefront.”
Transformative Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Program
WilmU’s accessible, affordable PMHNP certificate program, available in an online format, prepares you to provide comprehensive mental health services. Courses cover everything from neurobiology and direct patient care to psychopharmacology and psychotherapy. You’ll learn theory, practice and evidence-based interventions from faculty who are clinical practitioners with a holistic approach.
The curriculum emphasizes a strong foundation in neurobiology and psychopharmacology through innovative courses rated highly by students. Dr. Sarah Benner, a practicing pharmacist, leads Psychopharmacology for the Advanced Practice Nurse Across the Lifespan (GRN 7201), while Neurobiology of Psychiatric Disorders (GRN 7202) is led by Biology faculty member Dr. Robert Bauchwitz and Dr. Natalie Hart, practicing PMHNP and faculty member in the College of Health Professions and Natural Sciences (COHPNS).
The remaining core courses are led by experienced COHPNS faculty and practicing PMHNPs including Dr. Hart, Dr. Dana Olive and Dr. Khatera Jahan.
“Our passion really is preserving the heart of what psychiatric nursing is. We’re not physician assistants. We’re not psychiatrists. We’re psychiatric nurses, and there’s a very important differentiation,” says Dr. Olive, program chair. “The heart of nursing comes from emotional connection, therapeutic relationships, and really being present with and just acknowledging the value of our clients as whole people.”
That level of care is in demand. Psychiatric mental health nurse practitioners are among the fastest growing essential health care providers, with Research.com reporting an average salary of $154,475.
“It’s important for people to realize that the goal of the nurse practitioner is not just to prescribe medications. That is a common misconception,” Dr. Olive says. It’s to ensure “we are addressing not just medically what might be happening neurochemically but also psychologically.”
PMHNP Certification
WilmU’s program prepares you for licensure and board certification, with a 100% pass rate on PMHNP exams. Students complete 750 practicum hours in various settings over the course of four semesters.
“We try to be very supportive of our students,” Dr. Olive says. “We recognize that they’re busy working adults with families. I think it’s important for them to know that we see them and we hear them.”
Students appreciate Dr. Olive’s genuine concern and commitment to their success.
“I think Dr. Olive needs to clone herself. She’s so smart. She’s so supportive. She’s a godsend,” Metcalf says. “She’s an all-around amazing resource.”
As Metcalf delves deeper into psychiatric nursing, she feels “it’s good for the soul to know you’re making a difference” and wants people to remember that “mental health matters.”
Learn from dedicated instructors like Dr. Dana Olive in Wilmington University’s affordable Post-Master’s Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner certificate program, which combines rigorous academics with the flexibility busy RNs need.
To apply, you must have a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and a Master of Science in Nursing or Doctor of Nursing Practice degree. The program starts twice a year, in the spring and fall.
