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Indiana University PMHNP Program

School of Nursing Bloomington, IN

Indiana University’s School of Nursing offers a comprehensive BSN-DNP Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner program. It features 66 credit hours, and 1,005 clinical hours, with 750 hours dedicated to direct patient care.

The program operates as a hybrid model with courses delivered by experienced faculty and hands-on training at the state-of-the-art Fairbanks Simulation Center.

Program Track Overview

Students can complete the program in three years full-time or four years part-time, with cohorts starting annually in the fall. The program has maintained Indiana’s nursing leadership for over 100 years and prepares graduates to assess, diagnose, and clinically manage mental illness across the lifespan. Upon graduation, students are eligible for American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) certification and can apply for prescriptive authority from the Indiana Licensing Board.

BSN-DNP Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner – Lifespan

The estimated cost for the BSN-DNP PMHNP program is approximately $24,600 for Indiana residents and would take 3 years to complete on a full-time basis.

Curriculum

The BSN-DNP PMHNP track requires 66 credit hours delivered over three years full-time or four years part-time.

Core DNP coursework includes:

  • NURS-D 650 Data Analysis for Clinical and Administrative Decision Making
  • This course teaches nurses to use information systems for data management and statistical analysis. Students manipulate and interpret quantitative data with advanced methods to support clinical, administrative, and educational decisions.
  • NURS-D 710 Analytical Thinking for Evidence-based Practice
  • Students learn to locate, appraise, and synthesize research evidence. The course stresses study quality, limits of the literature, and application to patient outcomes.
  • NURS-D 721 Advanced Leadership in Complex Systems
  • The course integrates leadership research, theory, and organizational models within health systems. Students examine environmental factors, teams, partnerships, culture, and performance. They develop self-awareness, vision, risk-taking, and clear communication.
  • NURS-D 743 Trans-Disciplinary Approaches to Influencing Health Policy
  • Students engage in policy and advocacy at institutional, local, state, national, and international levels. They communicate with policymakers, analyze drivers, and apply evidence to shape health decisions.
  • NURS-D 722 Theoretical Basis of Project Implementation and Evaluation
  • The course covers translating and evaluating evidence in systems and policy settings. Students use theories and methods to improve population health outcomes and design projects that fit local context.
  • NURS-D 709 Executive Leadership Practicum
  • Students assess their leadership practice and build relationships with system-level leaders and communities of practice. They conduct organizational assessments to identify viable sites for practice scholarship.
  • NURS-D 750 Doctor of Nursing Practice Project Planning
  • Students plan a DNP project that improves outcomes through systems leadership, quality improvement, and evidence translation. The course culminates in a clear, actionable project plan.
  • NURS-I 640 Informatics in Nursing Practice Project Implementation
  • The course examines the nurse leader’s role in selecting, implementing, and integrating health technologies and information systems. Students review relevant theories and research with attention to emerging tools for practice and leadership.
  • NURS-D 744 Strategic Resource Leadership in Nursing and Health Systems
  • Students study advanced financial and human resource leadership in values-based systems. They build business cases for nurse executive initiatives tied to strategy, operations, and workforce productivity.
  • NURS-D 615 Performance Improvement and Patient Safety in Health Systems
  • The course prepares students to lead performance improvement and patient safety work. Topics include improvement science, quality and safety theories, measure selection, and organizational learning.
  • NURS-D 770 Doctor of Nursing Practice Project Evaluation and Dissemination
  • Students evaluate DNP project outcomes with guidance from the project team. They complete a comprehensive analysis and share results through written and oral formats.
  • NURS-D 748 Leading Patient-Centered Interprofessional Collaborative Practice Environments
  • Students prepare to lead patient-centered interprofessional teams. The course reviews evidence on team design and effectiveness and builds leadership competencies to improve safe, high-quality care for defined populations.
  • NURS-D 735 Population Health Surveillance and Management
  • Students learn intermediate concepts and data methods for population health surveillance and management. They apply indicators and analyses and practice functioning as members of a research team.

source: https://bulletins.iu.edu/iupui/2020-2021/schools/nursing/courses/index.shtml

Clinicals

Clinical training encompasses 1,005 total hours, with 750 hours dedicated to direct patient care under faculty and preceptor supervision. Clinical placements are arranged cooperatively between students and faculty across diverse mental health settings.

The remaining clinical hours support the evidence-based DNP project, requiring students to plan, implement, and evaluate a population health intervention addressing mental health needs in their chosen community or healthcare system.

Prerequisites & Admissions

  • Bachelor of Science in Nursing from CCNE or ACEN accredited program
  • BSN degree GPA of 3.0 on 4.0 scale
  • Active, unencumbered Indiana or Compact RN license
  • One year full-time RN experience (1,800 hours) in appropriate setting
  • Foreign nursing degrees must be evaluated by IU Indianapolis Office of International Affairs
  • Application deadlines: Cycle I (July 15-October 15), Cycle II (October 16-January 15), Cycle III (January 16-March 15)
  • Two professional references required
  • Official transcripts and application fee required

Tuition

Graduate tuition rates are $10,766 for Indiana residents and $30,748 for nonresidents annually for full-time enrollment (up to 40 credit hours). See the official tuition page for more details.

Accreditation

The program is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) or the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN). Graduates are eligible for ANCC certification as Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioners.

Other Nursing Programs

  • Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner
  • Family Nurse Practitioner
  • Pediatric Nurse Practitioner – Primary Care
  • Post-MSN DNP program tracks

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