Trends in psychiatric mental health nursing education

Eighty-five program coordinators responded to a survey concerning Psychiatric Mental Health (PMH) graduate-nursing education. Twelve of these 85 program coordinators reported their programs had closed. Data from the remaining 73 indicated that the number of students entering PMH graduate programs is small. In the past 2 years, most programs have undergone some redesign. A significant curricular trend is the inclusion of pharmacology, physical assessment, and pathophysiology. Another trend is the shift to a Nurse Practitioner (NP)-type curriculum. PMH curricula seem increasingly modeled on a primary mental health care model and training in a broad base of skills.