Why Become a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP)?

Growing Demand

As an RN, you’ve built a strong foundation of providing care, but what if you could deepen your clinical impact, earn more, and shape mental health care as a leader? The PMHNP role offers exactly that. Mental health demand is surging: nearly 1 in 5 U.S. adults experiences a mental health condition, and around 77% of U.S. counties face a severe provider shortage. Graceland’s flexible online MSN-PMHNP program can help you step into this essential role without sacrificing work-life balance.

What is a PMHNP? Roles, Settings, and Scope

A Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner is an advanced practice nurse who:

• Works with families and individuals to diagnose and treat a wide range of psychiatric disorders (from anxiety and depression to substance use and trauma-related issues)
• Prescribes medication and delivers psychotherapy
• Can work in diverse settings, including hospitals, private clinics, schools, telehealth, and correctional facilities

Compared to the RN roles you may be used to, when you become a PMHNP you’ll gain both clinical and prescriptive authority, expanding your impact and career path.

Why More Nurses are Becoming PMHNPs

Our country’s mental health crisis is intensifying. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that demand for psychiatric care is growing 3% faster than the average for all other occupations. More than 38,000 PMHNP positions were available in early 2024, with an additional 118,600 projected to become available over the coming decade.

RNs are stepping in to serve underserved communities, reduce stigma, and meet the challenge of integrated behavioral health, especially in telehealth, rural, and veteran-focused settings.

Career Growth & Financial Rewards from Becoming A PMHNP

Continuing your education and evolving your role to a PMHNP will open up more rewarding and specialized job opportunities that will give you the ability to make an impact on your patients in new ways. As a PMHNP, you stand to earn substantially more than you do as an RN and potentially more than many other NP specialties as well.

By the numbers:

• The average salary for a PMHNP is over $150,000 per year
• Compare that to a median RN salary of about $93,000 per year
• Or to a median NP salary at about $129,000 per year

A recent report also indicates that PMHNP employment is likely to increase by more than 40% in the next decade.

How to Become a PMHNP as A Working RN

Interested in leveling up your career opportunities, responsibilities, and rewards by becoming a PMHNP? Here’s what you need to do:

1. Enroll in an MSN (PMHNP specialization) — Check out Graceland University’s online PMHNP program
2. Complete required clinical hours (at least 750)
3. Pass national certification (ANCC PMHNP-BC)
4. Apply for state licensure

Why Choose Graceland University’s Online MSN-PMHNP Program?

Our online PMHNP program is built specifically to support working professionals. 100% of the coursework is online to allow your studies to fit your schedule. But more than that, we’ve developed the program to be native to the online environment, rather than trying to retrofit an in-classroom experience to the digital space. Virtual focus sessions allow for live engagement with faculty, and our partnership with NPHub enables us to pair you with the best-fitting clinical placements near you.

If you’re interested in learning more, check out our range of resources to learn more about our programs and the opportunities they can offer you.

Not ready for the PMHNP program yet? See our other nursing programs and recent accolades here.