Advanced Diagnostics and Reasoning for the Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner

Catalog description

This course develops interviewing skills and patient assessment in psychiatric mental health settings, with a focus on mental health-specific medications, labs, and diagnostics. It introduces advanced principles for assessment, differential diagnoses, and treatment planning. The curriculum combines lecture instruction with hands-on simulation, emphasizing practical skills in psychiatric history collection, objective evaluation, and diagnostic reasoning. Students demonstrate comprehensive mental health assessments and are evaluated on their ability to conduct integrated health assessments, communicate clinically, establish primary diagnoses, and implement evidence-based care plans. Successful skills demonstration is required for progression to the clinical setting.