Mental Health Nursing (Nurse Practitioner)

Course Overview

This program is accredited by the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Council and approved by the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia as a program leading to endorsement as a nurse practitioner. The Master of Mental Health Nursing (Nurse Practitioner) program is designed to prepare expert nurses for the autonomous role of the nurse practitioner in the speciality of mental health nursing. If you are already highly skilled then you may aspire to becoming a nurse practitioner in mental health. In this program, you will further develop your skills in health assessment and differential diagnosis within a holistic nursing model of care. You will undertake studies in pharmaco-therapeutics, research, contemporary nursing issues and leadership which will support you in your extended role. These studies will provide you with the confidence to work collaboratively as a valuable member of the healthcare team and to know that you are really making a vital contribution to your clients health outcome. Mental health nurses experienced and qualified to work in advanced practice roles are in very short supply in Australia and many other countries at a time in which innovative models of care are being introduced in public and private health services. The career development prospects for this exciting specialist field of nursing are thus excellent. In line with these new developments in mental health care, the main focus of the Master of Mental Health Nursing (Nurse Practitioner) is on advanced clinical practice at nurse practitioner level. The intention is to produce graduates who will be able to work effectively as mental health nurse practitioners in any health care location. The program is offered by the School of Nursing and Midwifery in partnership with the three other contributing Schools within the Faculty of Health and Medicine - Medicine and Public Health, Health Sciences and Biomedical Sciences.