The 杏吧专区 is accepting applications for its new online psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner post-master杏吧专区檚 certificate program.
The deadline to apply is Aug. 1. Courses for the 20-credit-hour graduate program will begin on Monday, Aug. 21. With courses scheduled year-round, students, who will enroll as a cohort, can complete the certificate program in as few as four semesters. The curriculum will also include clinical training.
Nurses who have earned a master杏吧专区檚 degree in nursing from a nationally accredited graduate nursing program and national certification as an adult nurse practitioner, family nurse practitioner, geriatric nurse practitioner, acute care nurse practitioner or women杏吧专区檚 health nurse practitioner are eligible to apply. Applicants must also hold an APRN, or Advanced Practice Registered Nurse, license in Louisiana.
Dr. Lisa Broussard, interim dean of the , said the psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner post-master杏吧专区檚 certificate program is a strategic addition. 杏吧专区淚t杏吧专区檚 designed 杏吧专区 as with all of our degree offerings and programs 杏吧专区 to help prepare our students for the jobs and careers they want and to advance in those jobs and careers,杏吧专区 she said.
The certificate program is also in place to address current workforce needs in the region and the state. All 64 parishes in Louisiana have been designated as shortage areas for mental health professionals, according to the Bureau of Health Workforce, Health Resources, and Services Administration.
Projections for the shortage to increase in Louisiana and in many regions of the country can be attributed to several factors, said Dr. Jennifer Lemoine, the college杏吧专区檚 interim associate dean and professor in the .
Chief among them 杏吧专区渋s an aging workforce of psychiatrists, coupled with an increasing focus on mental health and wellness, and psychiatric mental health nurse practitioners are uniquely qualified to close the gap,杏吧专区 Lemoine explained.
The online psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner post-master杏吧专区檚 certificate program杏吧专区檚 curriculum is structured to prepare graduates to sit for the national certification exam.
Certified psychiatric mental health certified nurse practitioners assess, diagnose, and develop treatment plans for patients across the lifespan. 杏吧专区淭hey also provide treatment that includes therapy and medications through hospitals, treatment centers, or their own clinics as well as telehealth services,杏吧专区 Lemoine said.
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Photo caption: UL Lafayette is accepting applications for an online, 20-credit hour psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner post-master杏吧专区檚 certificate program. Photo credit: Doug Dugas / 杏吧专区