Program Track Overview
The program requires minimum 3.5 GPA to apply and averages 3.5 years completion time with class sizes ranging from 10-20 students per specialization.
Students receive education in evidence-based practice, quality improvement, healthcare system leadership, and preparation for national certification through practice-focused degree emphasis. The program features systematic approach in course completion, guided clinical practicums in variety of settings, state-of-the-art simulations to enhance learning, and quality improvement project where students lead community-based projects to assess, evaluate, and improve outcomes.
Doctor of Nursing Practice – PMHNP (Post-BSN)
The estimated cost for the DNP-PMHNP Postbaccalaureate program is approximately $12,020-$24,340 annually and takes approximately 3.5 years (typically 9 semesters) to complete on a full-time basis.
This estimate is based on 12 credit hours per semester. With 73-74 total program credits at standard graduate tuition rates, plus fees, books, and living expenses the final total may be closer to $29,960-$42,280.
Curriculum
The DNP-PMHNP requires 73-74 total credit hours distributed across core/specialization preparatory courses (33 credits), specialization courses (27 credits), and capstone courses (13 credits).
Core and Specialization Preparatory Courses (33 credits)
NURS 701 Advanced Health Assessment — Refines lifespan history-taking, psychosocial, and physical exam skills with strong emphasis on differentiating, interpreting, and documenting normal vs. abnormal findings. Delivered via lecture, discussion, and integrated assessment assignments.
NURS 702 Advanced Health Assessment Laboratory — Hands-on companion to NURS 701 applying comprehensive history and physical exam skills in lab, culminating in a complete H&P. Highlights accurate differentiation and documentation of findings.
NURS 703 Theoretical Foundations of Advanced Nursing Practice — Explores how nursing theories inform research and practice, and how models/frameworks guide advanced practice decision-making. Emphasizes theory–research–practice integration.
NURS 715 Advanced Nursing Practice Roles — Surveys the evolution, scope, and legal/professional definitions of advanced practice nursing. Prepares students for role identity and contemporary expectations of APRNs.
NURS 793 Advanced Pathophysiology I — Deep dive into mechanisms of disease across the lifespan to support diagnostic reasoning and therapeutic planning. Uses age-appropriate cases to link pathophysiology to clinical decisions.
NURS 795A Applied Drug Therapy I — Introduces primary-care pharmacotherapy: protocols, prescribing, ethics/legal issues, dosing, interactions, and patient teaching. Employs case studies to select first-/second-line agents across age groups.
NURS 795B Applied Drug Therapy II — Extends evidence-based pharmacologic management to more complex conditions and patients. Case-based learning strengthens safe, effective prescribing in primary care.
NURS 801 Health Policy — Analyzes U.S. health policy structures and their impact on care delivery and equity. Develops policy analysis and advocacy skills with attention to diversity.
PHS 807 Healthcare Informatics — Overviews informatics theories and tools (EHRs, decision support, analytics) to improve safety, quality, and efficiency. Addresses legal, regulatory, ethical, and security considerations in clinical technologies.
NURS 824 Advanced Pathophysiology II — Examines cellular and molecular disease processes across the lifespan to sharpen differentiation of similar conditions. Connects normal physiology, pathophysiology, and targeted assessment.
NURS 901 Organizational Systems and Leadership — Applies leadership theories to change in diverse health systems, linking leadership behaviors to outcomes. Focuses on leading people, processes, and quality in complex organizations.
NURS 902 Population and Social Determinants of Health — Investigates how social and economic factors shape population health and disparities. Emphasizes evidence-based strategies to improve outcomes at the population level.
NURS 956 Practice Management — Covers business essentials for APRNs: contracting, billing, operations, and outcomes evaluation. Prepares students to manage professional issues and measure value in practice.
Specialization Courses (27 credits)
NURS 728 Advanced Practice Technology and Skills — Integrates advanced assessment with point-of-care technologies and procedures in lab/clinical settings. Includes a 40-hour precepted experience to solidify documentation and interpretation skills.
NURS 854 Diagnosis and Management of Mental Disorders 1 — Builds diagnostic reasoning and psychopharmacologic strategies for managing mental health conditions across the lifespan. Emphasizes evidence-based, developmentally appropriate care.
NURS 819 Foundations of Psychiatric/Mental Health Nursing — Introduces theory-driven interventions for common mental health problems in individuals and families. Prepares PMHNP students to select and apply appropriate modalities.
NURS 822 Psychiatric/Mental Health Nursing Practicum I — Intensive clinical focusing on individual psychotherapy, psychiatric assessment, differential diagnosis, and treatment planning. Reinforces therapeutic communication and intervention skills.
NURS 859 Psychopharmacology — Applies brain biology and psychopharmacology to evidence-based medication selection and monitoring across the lifespan. Uses complex case studies to address safety, interactions, and patient education.
NURS 921 Complex Issues in Psychiatric/Mental Health Nursing — Addresses chronic and multisystem psychiatric conditions with recovery-oriented, theory-based interventions. Highlights prevention, health promotion, and family/individual care.
NURS 922 Psychiatric/Mental Health Nursing Practicum II — Clinical immersion in group therapy and advanced psychiatric assessment leading to differential diagnosis and management plans. Emphasizes facilitation of therapeutic group processes.
NURS 951 Clinical Application and Role Transition — Case-based integration of pathophysiology and evidence for APRN clinical decision-making with ethical and cost considerations. Supports transition to independent, role-competent practice.
NURS 952 Advanced Nursing Practice Preceptorship — Final specialization practicum synthesizing prior coursework to manage acute, chronic, and urgent conditions. Conducted with preceptors in settings aligned to student goals.
Capstone Courses (13 credits):
NURS 899B Introduction to Translational Research — Lays groundwork for the DNP project by evaluating evidence and framing practice questions. Focuses on translating best research into clinical decision-making.
NURS 826 Evidence-Based Nursing Project I — Develops skills to appraise evidence and design quality-improvement initiatives. Establishes the foundation for an EBP project relevant to advanced practice.
NURS 826L DNP Project Lab I — Faculty-mentored lab to create the project proposal components: problem, needs assessment, and literature review. Produces the initial written proposal.
NURS 828 Evidence-Based Nursing Project II — Teaches management and analysis of clinical data using spreadsheets/statistics to evaluate outcomes and care delivery. Emphasizes practical analytic skills.
NURS 828L DNP Project Lab II — Extends proposal development with conceptual framework and methodology; prepares IRB submission. Continues faculty-guided refinement of the project plan.
NURS 959 Evidence-Based Nursing Project III — Implements the project in a practice or community setting and begins data collection. Continues scholarly collaboration with faculty and partners.
NURS 960 Residency — Advanced, mentored residency to complete and disseminate the DNP project while compiling a comprehensive professional portfolio. May include clinical residency hours for post-BSN DNP students.
NURS 962 Evidence-Based Nursing Project IV — Finalizes project implementation, evaluation, and dissemination; submits DNP portfolio documenting scholarship and advanced practice achievements. Repeatable to meet program requirements.
Graduate nursing elective of 1-3 hours required (minimum 3 credit hours total for elective courses). The curriculum prepares students for assessment, management, diagnosis, and treatment of patients with psychiatric disorders and mental health problems in mental health centers, psychiatric offices, hospitals, and long-term care.
Students complete evidence-based DNP project working collaboratively with at least one graduate nursing faculty member who chairs their committee and one other graduate faculty member to identify evidence-based practice problem and plan implementation. Successful defense of evidence-based project proposal is expected outcome within Evidence-Based Nursing Project III course.
After successful completion and defense of Evidence-Based Nursing Project III proposal, candidates enroll in Evidence Based Nursing Project IV to complete/disseminate project results and develop portfolio documenting practice scholarship. Candidates complete oral defense of project upon completion.
Clinicals
The DNP-PMHNP includes clinical practicum experiences across three clinical placements typically begun in Fall semester and carried through Spring and Summer semesters.
NURS 822 Psychiatric/Mental Health Nursing Practicum I (4 credits, 240 clinical hours at 4:1 ratio) provides intensive clinical experience where students assess individual clients and plan, implement, and evaluate nurse-therapist strategies with individual clients, learning psychiatric theories of psychotherapy and tools/techniques for individual counseling.
NURS 922 Psychiatric/Mental Health Nursing Practicum II (4 credits, 240 clinical hours at 4:1 ratio) offers intensive clinical experience analyzing group processes and initiating/evaluating therapeutic strategies with groups, emphasizing performance of group therapy and psychiatric assessment including interpretation of relevant data, differential diagnosis, and development/implementation of management plans with appropriate interventions promoting group process.
NURS 952 Advanced Nursing Practice Preceptorship (3 credits, 180 contact hours at 4:1 ratio) provides concentrated clinical practicum in student’s specialization healthcare setting emphasizing management of care for individuals, synthesizing concepts and principles from previous classes and clinical experiences while applying theoretical and research content to acute, chronic, urgent, and/or common health problems. Preceptorship occurs in clinical agency appropriate to student’s clinical interests.
Students perform nursing interventions according to Kansas Board of Nursing Nurse Practice Act standards and American Nurses Association Scope and Standards of Practice for Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing Practice.
Students gain experience working as:
- collaborative members of healthcare team
- practicing clinical skills including health assessments
- advanced psychiatric assessments
- diagnosis of psychiatric conditions
- mental status examinations
- pharmacological assessments and management
- psychiatric management of patients with problems in living or psychiatric disorders
Clinical experiences receive faculty and preceptor supervision and oversight.
Prerequisites & Admissions
DNP-PMHNP Postbaccalaureate Requirements:
- Approved graduate-level statistics course taken within last 10 years
- Bachelor of Science in Nursing from nationally accredited school (NLN or CCNE)
- Minimum 3.0 GPA in following areas:
- Last 60 credit hours of undergraduate coursework
- All undergraduate nursing courses
- Any graduate-level courses taken
- Following four science courses (overall GPA at least 3.0 with no grade generating less than 2.0 credit points per credit hour in any single course): anatomy/physiology, microbiology, pathophysiology, pharmacology
- One application submitted to Graduate School by May 1 (fall admission only; priority deadline)
- Request entrance to specific specialization (PMHNP) upon application
- Evidence of license as registered nurse in Kansas
- Coverage by professional and general liability insurance (NP students must have NP student coverage prior to enrollment in practicum coursework; minimum coverage required: $1,000,000 single incident/$3,000,000 aggregate for both professional and general liability)
- Computer literacy expectation including word processing, email, file attachments, internet searches (Blackboard orientation highly encouraged; students may take PC 105 or another basic computer skills course to fulfill computer literacy expectation)
- Technical standards must be met
- Application deadline: July 15 (priority deadline May 1) for fall admission only
- Minimum GPA to apply: 3.5
- Class size: 10-20 students per specialization
- Average program length: 3.5 years
- Application ratio varies
Learning Objectives:
Students construct contract with specific learning objectives to accomplish during each clinical rotation. Learning plans reviewed and endorsed by clinical instructor, preceptor, and student. Contract serves as outline of learning objectives during clinical rotation.
Professional Conduct Requirements:
Students agree to perform nursing interventions according to Kansas Board of Nursing Nurse Practice Act standards and ANA Scope and Standards of Practice for Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing Practice. Any unethical behavior subject to dismissal. Students must review Kansas Nurse Practice Act statute status 65-1120 before admission.
Preceptor Requirements:
Preceptors must be credentialed and state licensed to practice in their specialization. National certification highly encouraged although not required in Kansas for APRN status. Preceptors must have educational preparation and/or extensive practice experience appropriate to supervisory responsibility.
Newly prepared preceptors must have at least one year of practice experience in specialization. Preceptors may include both advanced practice nurses (APRNs) and non-nurse practitioners (usually physicians). PMH Student Clinical Evaluation Form must be completed at conclusion of each clinical experience or semester rotation.
Tuition
Graduate tuition and fees for Kansas residents: approximately $12,020 annually (based on 12 credit hours per semester, 24 credit hours per year). Graduate tuition and fees for non-residents: approximately $24,340 annually.
Additional estimated annual costs include:
- books/course materials/supplies/equipment ($1,290)
- food and housing off-campus ($12,800)
- personal expenses ($2,360)
- transportation expenses ($1,340)
- student loan fees ($150)
Total estimated annual cost of attendance: Kansas residents $29,960; non-residents $42,280; non-residents with Shocker City Partnership/Shocker Legacy $29,960; non-residents with Shocker Select/Midwest Student Exchange $34,190.
See the official cost of attendance page for more details.
Accreditation
Wichita State University School of Nursing graduate programs hold appropriate accreditation ensuring educational quality and professional recognition. The DNP program meets AACN standards for highest level of nursing education.
Other Nursing Programs
Wichita State University School of Nursing offers comprehensive nursing education:
Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Postbaccalaureate:
- Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner
- Family Nurse Practitioner
Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Post-Master:
- APRN-Clinical Practice Leadership Focus (online only)
Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) Concentrations:
- Nursing Education (online only)
- Nurse Executive-Leadership and Administration (online only)
More Programs in Kansas
View All PMHNP Programs in Kansas
- KU Medical Center - Kansas City
- University of Saint Mary - Leavonworth
- Washburn University - Topeka