Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (MS), 2-Year

This course prepares advanced practice nursing students with the theoretical knowledge required to be successful members of contemporary health care delivery systems. Students will gain a broad perspective of how local,state and federal policies along with regulatory statutes impact their ability to provide patient care. Students will become familiar with legal and ethical aspects of advanced practice delivery,licensure,certification,liability and malpractice,health care funding models and legislative mandates that influence practice.

Prerequisites: None

This course is designed for the graduate nursing student preparing for the family nurse practitioner role, or the community health nursing advanced clinical track. Students learn how to competently perform and document a complete history and physical for people of all ages. Opportunities to practice their developing health assessment skills are provided in the on-campus lab.

Prerequisites: NUR-631L

This course is designed for the graduate nursing student preparing for the family nurse practitioner role, or the community health nursing advanced clinical track. Students learn how to competently perform and document a complete history and physical for people of all ages. Opportunities to practice their developing health assessment skills are provided in the on-campus lab.

Prerequisites: NUR-631

This course was developed for advanced practice nursing students preparing to work families, some of whom may be experiencing mental health crises. The course provides the theoretical background necessary to make sound treatment decisions when patients have comorbid acute or chronic health problems. Advanced practice nurses must be prepared to provide access to comprehensive care across the lifespan for persons with co-existing mental and medical illness. Health promotion strategies and evidence-based clinical guidelines will be stressed in order to improve outcomes for persons with dual diagnoses. The role of culture and the influence of socioeconomic status are explored in relation to patients' achieving optimum health outcomes.

Prerequisites: NUR-632, NUR-633, NUR-631, NUR-631L

This is the first of two courses in the curriculum designed to prepare the Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) student for practice. This course provides the foundation required in order to assess and intervene therapeutically for individuals experiencing mental health problems or disorders across the lifespan. Issues related to treatment, including interpersonal and cognitive-behavioral and psychoanalytic approaches are examined within the context of the present day mental healthcare climate and common environmental stressors. Theoretical and conceptual explanations of most DSM 5 disorders are presented while the importance of balancing the therapeutic relationship with evidence based practice is emphasized. The increased prevalence of comorbid conditions and its implications for treatment are examined and considered as rationale for embracing an integrated model of primary care and behavioral health care.

Prerequisites: NUR-631 NUR-631L NUR-632 NUR-633

This is the second of two courses in the curriculum designed to prepare the Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) student for practice. This course is designed to help the PMHMP student develop a deeper understanding of mental health and illness as well as a broader contextual perspective and builds upon knowledge of interpersonal, cognitive-behavioral and psychoanalytic approaches used in Behavioral Health. Additionally, an emphasis on the interrelationship between internal and external factors that influence personality development and personality pathology is presented through an analysis of developmental and psychoanalytic theories. Environmental influences and personality structure are also examined in the context of the development of addictive disorders. A systems perspective is employed in applying principles of family and group therapeutic modalities to selected populations. These may apply to specific age groups or disorders, including but not limited to groups or families of veterans or those dealing with addiction. A lifespan perspective is maintained with the addiction of content of child/adolescent and elderly populations.

Prerequisites: NUR-631 NUR-631L NUR-632 NUR-633

This course was developed to provide an opportunity for advanced practice nursing students to work in a primary health setting with patients across the lifespan. Students will complete 120 hours of guided clinical experience with specific focus on client assessment and management skills, Health promotion will be accomplished through patient education and collaboration with other health professionals.

Prerequisites: NUR-631, NUR-631L, NUR-632 NUR-633

This course provides the Psychiatric Mental Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) student with an opportunity for implementation of skills consistent with the provision of care to individuals experiencing mental health problems, including assessment, diagnosis and therapeutic interventions. Psychotherapy modalities including interpersonal cognitive-behavioral and psychoanalytic approaches are implemented and where appropriate, psychopharmacological treatment is provided based upon assessment data. Students will be required to complete 180 clinical hours during this rotation.

Prerequisites: NUR-631 NUR-631L NUR-632 NUR-633 NUR-672 NUR-673 NUR-707

This course provides the Psychiatric Mental Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) student with an opportunity for implementation of skills necessary to intervene therapeutically for families and groups. Theoretical application of family and group therapies including interpersonal, cognitive-behavioral and psychoanalytic modalities is emphasized when working with selected populations. Promotion of wellness and interventions for family or group systems experiencing dysfunction are included in the provision care. Students will be required to complete 240 clinical hours during this rotation.

Prerequisites: NUR-631 NUR-631L NUR-632 NUR-633 NUR-672 NUR-673 NUR-708

Designed for the graduate nursing student preparing for family nurse practitioner practice, or the community health nursing clinical track, this course provides advanced concepts of pharmacology. These include the actions, usual dosages, absorptions, distributions and side effects of commonly prescribed drugs. Legal and ethical issues related to prescription writing are included. This course meets the requirements of New York state for nurse practitioner licensure.
Offered in: Spring Only
Prerequisites: None

Designed for the graduate nursing student preparing for family nurse practitioner practice, or the community health nursing advanced clinical track, this course utilizes a systems approach to the study of normal human physiology. Variations of normal physiology are explored in relation to adults and children experiencing a wide range of health concerns.
Offered in: Fall Only
Prerequisites: None

This course provides the advance practice nurse, including the Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) student with content covering psychopharmacologic therapeutic mechanisms. Content includes all classifications of psychotropic medications as well as some adjuvant medications commonly used for treating some mental disorders. Also included is information on neurotransmission and how disruptions in neurotransmitter systems are related to symptoms associated with mood, anxiety and psychotic disorders. The role of the PMHNP as a provider with prescriptive privileges in the management of psychiatric mental health problems is viewed as concomitant with the provision of other therapies including psychotherapeutic interventions.

Prerequisites: None

This course provides an in-depth study of the physiology of the brain and pathological processes associated with various mental disorders. Advance practice nurses working in psych-mental health settings will benefit from a broad understanding of neural functioning including structural defects, neurotransmitter dysfunction and associative processes. Evidence-based information on neurogenesis and psychoneuroimmunology including the relationship between these processes and environmental influences are examined as a means of improving outcomes for patients experiencing mental health problems. Additionally, treatment approaches that include combined pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic approaches as well as alternative/complementary approaches are examined.

Prerequisites: None

This course will present a critique of theories used in nursing practice and in nursing research. Students will develop an understanding of the philosophical and historical trends that shape theories that are applied to the discipline of nursing and impact the delivery of health care services. Emphasis is placed on the process of concept analysis and the application of theory to nursing practice. Prerequisite/Co-requisite: undergraduate statistics course and student must be enrolled in a graduate program or have the permission of the instructor.

Prerequisites: None

This course will provide the foundational knowledge needed by masters' prepared nurses in order to design and evaluate research methodologies used for investigating clinical problems. The components of research design including settings, sampling frames, instrumentation, subject selection, and validity threats will be presented. Computer programs used for statistical analyses in nursing and health-related research will be reviewed. Emphasis is placed on the masters prepared nurse as a producer and consumer of research. Prerequisite/Co-requisite: undergraduate statistics course and student must be enrolled in a graduate program or have the permission of the instructor.

Prerequisites: None

Critical discussion of current nursing practice,nursing education or nursing administration challenges or other needs of the profession,as related to gaps representing project opportunities. Students will identify and delineate a project concept,with subsequent development of the project.

Prerequisites: NUR-600 NUR-601