Psychiatric Mental Health
Our Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) Mental Health Nursing Program offers students an excellent faculty, preceptors and many clinical agencies for practicum experiences throughout the Pittsburgh area including Western Psychiatric Institute. Our 41 credit CNS Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing Program prepares nurses in advanced practice as:
- Experts in the care of patients with psychiatric or psychosocial issues, including the delivery of psychotherapy.
- Collaborators in the development of nursing personnel through education and mentoring strategies
- Developers and managers of population based programs of care focusing on psychosocial issues, across an organization or network.
The CNS in Psychiatric Mental Health leads multidisciplinary teams to ensure that patients receive the full range of health care services needed, initiates research utilization projects to deliver and test innovative health care practices, provides consultation to healthcare providers related to psychiatric issues in patients, and facilitates cost effective, quality clinical outcomes. The program includes 5 clinical pathways in which a student may specialize:
- Children/Adolescents
- Family
- Geriatric
- Addictions
- Forensics
This program can be done through part-time study and completion takes, on average, 7 terms (2.3 years). The program includes 500 hours of clinical practice.
The CNS Program is designed to provide a strong foundation in core competencies through courses included in the advanced practice nursing core. A strong base in neuroscience is developed in the clinical emphasis courses. For their clinical emphasis, students select an area of clinical concentration and enhance their knowledge in this area. In the role implementation courses, students are introduced to a framework for CNS practice. Counselor skills are developed through courses in individual and family therapy with supervised clinical practice.
The CNS in Psychiatric Mental Health may attain national certification from the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). Graduates may also be eligible for other certification relevant to an individual clinical emphasis, such as addictions or forensics. An RN Options program is also available which includes an RN-MSN option for those nurses who do not yet have a BSN.
For further information contact (412) 624-6933 or 1-888-747-0794.
To receive an application for admission, call the School of Nursing Student Services Office at (412) 624-4586, 1-888-747-0794 or e-mail at sao50@pitt.edu.