Frontier Nursing University’s flexible, online psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner program aims to prepare competent, compassionate, and well-equipped Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioners (PMHNPs). FNU offers a graduate PMHNP specialty track that can be pursued full- or part-time while completing a Master of Science in Nursing or a Post-Graduate Certificate.
The curriculum of FNU’s PMHNP program is structured to provide a comprehensive foundation in assessing, diagnosing, and treating psychiatric disorders. Emphasis is also placed on health promotion and disease prevention. Before students embark on their clinical journey, FNU ensures they are thoroughly prepared through a didactic curriculum that not only equips students with essential skills, but also builds confidence in their abilities.
“Our focus is on training innovative nurse practitioners who have a passion for serving their communities, and we accomplish that with a unique blend of didactic coursework and clinical experience. Our students value the flexibility of our distance education program as it allows them to stay in their home communities while advancing their careers to improve access to care,” said Dr. Kevin Scalf, Department Chair of the Department of Psychiatric-Mental Health.
A standout feature of FNU’s PMHNP program is the Clinical Bound experience, a five-day immersive skills intensive held on the university’s campus in Versailles, Kentucky. This unique opportunity allows students to refine their clinical skills under the guidance of experienced faculty before beginning their clinical practicum.
Central to the Clinical Bound experience are the sophisticated clinical simulations designed to replicate real-world scenarios encountered by PMHNPs. These simulations provide a safe yet realistic environment for students to apply their knowledge and skills. FNU’s simulation rooms closely resemble actual clinical settings, enhancing the authenticity of the learning experience.
A key component of FNU’s clinical simulations is the use of standardized patients (SPs). These individuals, trained to portray specific psychiatric conditions or symptoms, enable students to practice patient interactions in a controlled setting. Through scripted scenarios, students engage in comprehensive assessments, develop treatment plans, and hone their therapeutic communication skills.
During Clinical Bound, faculty members facilitate discussions, peer-learning activities, and practice sessions to maximize student engagement and learning. Immediate feedback provided by faculty and SPs allows students to reflect on their performance and identify areas for improvement.
One of the distinctive aspects of FNU’s Clinical Bound is the integration of technology to facilitate remote learning and observation. Using SimIQ software, students not directly involved in the simulation can observe their peers’ encounters in real-time from nearby classrooms or remote locations. This innovative approach promotes collaborative learning and allows for helpful feedback from both faculty and peers. By offering in-person clinical simulations and integrating SimIQ software, students are equipped with the necessary tools to interact with patients not only in a traditional in-person setting but also in a telehealth environment. This adaptability is increasingly crucial as healthcare access continues to evolve and telehealth becomes more prevalent.
These recordings serve as valuable resources for post-simulation debriefing sessions, where students can evaluate their performance and gain insights into their clinical practice. Through guided reflection, students deepen their understanding of complex patient interactions and refine their clinical skills for future practice.
The success of FNU’s Clinical Bound and the clinical simulation offered during the experience is a testament to the university’s commitment to excellence in PMHNP education. By combining hands-on clinical training with cutting-edge simulation technology, FNU prepares its students to meet the evolving demands of mental healthcare delivery.
FNU psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner students have an overall ANCC certification exam pass rate of 98% compared to the national overall ANCC pass rate of 90%. As graduates of FNU’s PMHNP program, students emerge as compassionate and culturally competent providers ready to address the mental health needs of diverse, rural and underserved populations.
To learn more about FNU’s PMHNP program, visit frontier.edu/psych-mental-health-nurse-practitioner.
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