Psychiatric Mental Health Clinical Nurse Specialist
The Psychiatric Mental Health Clinical Nurse Specialists (PMHCNS) provide advanced
treatment of psychiatric & mental health problems and disorders in adults using a variety of
therapeutic and interpersonal techniques. The PMHCNS uses advanced knowledge in the
treatment of adult psychiatric and mental health problems and disorders. The PMHCNS practices
in diverse settings and is actively engaged in case management and education (e.g. patient, staff,
students, and colleagues. The clinical nurse specialist may focus on providing leadership to
others in the mental health workforce, expert clinical practice as well as participates in
administration, consultation, research, program development and quality improvement activities.
The University Of Illinois College of Nursing offers one of the most respected programs in
advanced psychiatric-mental health nursing in the United States. The PMHCNS program
curriculum has a biopsychosocial orientation, addressing mental illness as a biological event, as a
personal experience, and as a social and cultural phenomenon. Students can tailor their clinical
practicum for supervised work within an adult or child/adolescent psychiatric mental health
program.
All students in the Psychiatric Mental Health Clinical Nurse Specialist Program complete a
series of core mental health specialty courses that have a life span focus:
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current theories of psychiatric illness
advanced health assessment and psychiatric assessment
advance practice pharmacology and psychopharmacology
advance pathophysiology
psychosocial and psychotherapeutic treatment modalities of group, family and individual or child
therapies including techniques for problem resolution, symptom management, relapse prevention,
and psychiatric rehabilitation.
Clinical experiences allow students to meet highly individualized learning objectives in a variety
of mental health settings. These span the range of community mental health and substance abuse
treatment services for children and adults. Graduates meet requirements to sit for the national
certification examination for Adult or Child Psychiatric Mental Health Clinical Nurse Specialist
offered by the American Nurses Credentialing Center. Recent graduates are practicing in
institutions of higher education, hospital settings, community mental health centers, psychiatric
home-care programs, and forensic mental health programs or with community based intensive
case management teams.
Mental Health Clinical Nurse Specialist
Course #
Course Title
SH
NUSC 525
NUSC 526
NUSC 527
NUSC 528
NUSC 529
NUSC 531
NUSC 532
NUSC 533
NUSC 597
NUSC 598
Core and Core Support Courses
Intermediate Statistics
Nursing Inquiry I
Nursing Inquiry II
Health, Environment, and Systems
Issues in Advanced Practice in Nursing
Pharmaceutical Intervention for Advanced Practice Nursing
Comprehensive Health Assessment for Advanced Practice Nursing
Applied Pharmaceutical Intervention in Advanced Practice Nursing
Master’s Project
or
Thesis Research: Master’s
3
2
2
2
1
3
3
1
3
5
NUPS 500
NUPS 515
NUPS 516
NUPS 517
NUPS 518
NUPS 521
NUPS 522
Concentration Core
Group Dynamics, Behavior and Intervention
Development, Behavioral Health and Interventions with Youth
Behavioral Health Care I
Behavioral Health Care II
Family Behavioral Health
Clinical Practicum in Behavioral Health I
Clinical Practicum in Behavioral Health II
3
3
3
3
2
6
6
Total Degree Hours
46-48