PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
The GSN ONLY accepts commissioned officers or service sponsored civilians in the U.S. Army, Air Force, Navy, or Public Health Service with a Bachelor's or Master's Degree with a concentration in Nursing.
The DNP-PMH Program prepares graduate nurses for advanced clinical practice and leadership across healthcare systems. The curriculum stresses psychiatric-mental health care across the lifespan consistent with current standards of practice for the psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner.
CURRICULUM
The DNP-PMH track is a 36 month, full time program that refines critical thinking skills through didactics, clinical simulation, and clinical practice. The curriculum is divided in a Phase I and Phase II consisting of 93 credits stressing psychiatric-mental health care care across the lifespan and operationally relevant care based. Didactic learning is translated into advanced practice skills at military and Federal facilities supervised by experienced nurse practitioner and other behavioral health providers. The first year of clinical exposure is primarily in the simulation lab. During the second year clinical experience utilizes both simulation and direct patient care. In the third year, students continue building clinical skills at a service specific clinical site. Across the 3-year program, each graduate will acquire over 1700 direct practice hours, create and implement a scholarly inquiry project addressing a healthcare system’s issue and create a personal portfolio demonstrating how they have achieved each of the 8 DNP Essentials.
REQUIRED NURSING CORE COURSES (23 CREDITS)
GSN 706 Healthcare Informatics 3
GSN 750A Global Perspectives Seminar in Complex Healthcare Systems I 3
GSN 750B Global Perspectives Seminar in Complex Healthcare Systems II 3
GSN 9XX Evidenced Based Practice and Scholarship 5
GSN 903 Translating Evidence into Practice 3
GSN 906 Doctor of Nursing Practice Project 6
REQUIRED ADVANCED PRACTICE CORE COURSES (21 CREDITS)
GSN 601 Advanced Anatomy 3
GSN 602 Advanced Health Assessment 3
GSN 603 Advanced Physiology 3
GSN 610 Advanced Pharmacology 4
GSN 611 Advanced Pathophysiology 4
GSN 710 Bedside Ultrasonography 1
GSN 711 Integrative Medicine Methodologies 1
GSN 809 Concepts in Operational Leadership & Readiness 2
GSN XXX Trauma & Combat Casualty Care X
REQUIRED SPECIALTY SPECIFIC COURSES (31 CREDITS)
PMH601 Foundations of Advanced Practice Psychiatric Nursing 4
PMH602 Advanced Diagnosis of Mental Disorders Across the Lifespan 4
PMH603 Therapeutic Modalities 3
PMH605 Advanced Practice Psychiatric Nursing Specialty Practicum 2
PMH606 Operational Readiness for Advance Psychiatric Practice 5
PMH607 Treatment of Substance Abuse Disorders Across the Lifespan 2
PMH608 Psychopharmacology I, 1
PMH609 Psychopharmacology II, 1
PMH610 Psychopharmacology III, 3
GSN707 Integration and Application of Family Theory in Primary Care 2
PMH803 Applied Clinical Concepts 4
REQUIRED PRACTICUM COURSES (13 CREDITS)
GSN801 DNP Practicum & Seminar in Nurse Practitioner Practice I, 4
GSN802 DNP Practicum & Seminar in Nurse Practitioner Practice II, 5
GSN803 DNP Practicum & Seminar in Nurse Practitioner Practice III, 4
ELECTIVE OPPORTUNITIES
GSN810 Operational Readiness Directed Study 3
GSN721 Interdisciplinary Health Policy 2
PDR4127 Media Communication in Health Care 2
DNP PROJECT (6 CREDITS)
GSN906 Doctor of Nursing Practice Project 6
The project translates research into practice in the form of a practice or system improvement. Students identify inconsistencies, inefficiencies, or other issues within the clinical setting and propose a solution based on existing research.
OPERATIONAL READINESS CURRICULA/EXPERIENCES
The GSNs Operational Curriculum is integrated throughout the PMH program to develop military providers capable of provide care in both traditional and operational settings. All the APRN students receive “core” operational content during the first year of the program to include Tactical Combat Casualty Care, Advanced Trauma Life Support, Behavioral Health First Aid and battlefield principles taught through an immersive experience at the Antietam Battlefield. During the 2nd year of the program, in preparation for the interprofessional GSN/School of Medicine Military Contingency Medicine (MCM)/Bushmaster course, all PMH students first complete a Combat Operational Stress Control Course. They and then complete the 2 week MCM didactic course with the FNP, WHNP and rising 4th year medical students, but during the 5 day Bushmaster field exercise, the PMH complete a series of tasks specifically related to their role in a combat setting. For example providing real-time information to student and faculty leadership about the mental well-being of the participants in the units.
In addition to these specific courses, content is woven into the PMH curriculum and students are offered the opportunity to complete the Mountain Medicine or Dive Medicine electives
CLINICAL ROTATIONS
Clinical rotations are integrated into specific PMH specialty and Practicum courses.
Students PCS to a predetermined clinical site at the beginning of Phase II (end of Spring semester upon completion of 2nd year). Each Phase II site has specific guidelines that guide processes at the site. Students will receive an orientation upon arrival to the Phase II clinical site.
Individual student’s clinical experiences are coordinated by the Phase II Director. Clinical experiences vary by semester and by course with students spending 1-4 days per week depending on the semester at their clinical site.
Ultimately the evaluation of student performance is the responsibility of program faculty; however, clinical preceptors provide significant input because they observe student performance on a daily basis.
Numerous clinical sites have been identified for PMH students both nationally and internationally and students may be required to travel TDY/TAD to clinical sites during the program.
ADMISSION
The GSN ONLY accepts commissioned Nurse Corps officers or service sponsored civilians in the U.S. Army, Air Force, Navy, or Public Health Service. Applicants must have a Master's Degree in nursing or related field and hold a current unrestricted nursing license in any of the US states and territories.
For General Admission Requirements, read the Apply page
DEGREE SPECIFIC ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS
- Undergraduate GPA of 2.7 or higher on a 4.0 scale
- Combined science GPA of 2.5 or higher on a 4.0 scale (chemistry, biochemistry, anatomy, physiology, etc.).
FINANCIALS
TUITION AND FEES
Tuition: $0
Fees: $0
Books: $0
Equipment: $0
Tuition and fees are waived for all students.
Students retain active duty benefits.
SERVICE OBLIGATION
Active-duty Uniformed Services personnel may incur an obligation for additional service in accordance with the applicable regulations governing sponsored graduate education.