Psychiatric Primary Care Nurse Practitioner (PPCNP)

The Psychiatric Primary Care Nurse Practitioner (PPCNP) program prepares principal providers of primary health care who treat adult psychiatric clients in a variety of settings on both an episodic and continuous basis. PPCNP students begin their plan of study in core courses that include content on physical diagnosis, health promotion, pharmacology, pathophysiology, and management of acute, episodic, and chronic health problems Psychiatric Primary Care content directly builds on these core concepts to provide students with the advanced practice skills to effectively manage both the common medical and complex psychobiological problems of persons with psychiatric disorders. Practica provide opportunities for intensive and varied clinical experiences. The program is designed to qualify the student for credentialing by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania as a certified registered nurse practitioner and for peer certification by the American Nurses' Association and the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners.

The PPCNP program offers both full-time and part-time study. The sequence of courses is planned to provide the best opportunity for a logical building of the clinical decision-making skill necessary to function as a PPCNP. Specifically, health promotion, pathophysiology, pharmacology, and physical diagnosis are seen as foundational. Building on this foundation, the student generates a knowledge base of adult physical diagnosis and management of acute and chronic primary health care needs/problems. Neurobiology and psychopharmacology serve as a transition between general primary health care and specialized psychiatric nursing skills. Along with the nursing focus on full care provision ranging from mental health promotion to illness rehabilitation, the PPCNP role also involves interventions that encompass psychobiologic diagnosis and treatment. In addition, emphasis is placed on psychotherapies for these individuals and their families to promote mental health and prevent subsequent mental disorders. Clinical experiences are designed so that students provide comprehensive management to psychiatric clients, including both physical and psychiatric care. Culminating clinical management practica provide students with the opportunity to synthesize and integrate concepts from primary health care with their psychiatric knowledge base.

Registered nurses who already have a master's degree in nursing may earn a second master's degree; determination of advanced standing credits will be done by the PPCNP faculty.

Graduates from the PPCNP program will work with psychiatric clients in a variety of settings, including in-patient and outpatient settings, community mental health centers, HMOs, and private practice settings. Further, the PPCNP may provide consultation to primary care providers. Applicants to the PPCNP program should have one year of experience in psychiatric/mental health nursing.

For more information please contact:

• Donna G. Nativio PhD, CRNP, FAAN
• Associate Professor
• Director of the Family/Adult/Pediatric and Neonatal Nurse Practitioner Programs
• Phone: 412-624-3827
• Email: dgn@pitt.edu