Master of Science in Nursing - Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Track

Through the Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner track, students will learn how to:

• Assess, diagnose, treat and manage acute episodic and mental chronic illnesses
• Become experts in mental health awareness, treatment, and prevention
• Order, conduct, supervise, and interpret diagnostic and laboratory tests
• Prescribe pharmacological agents and non-pharmacologic therapies
• Teach and counsel patients

Program Overview

• 47 credit hours
• 18-month and 27-month schedule options
• Hybrid model including traditional and online courses
  • Didactic courses are taught online, asynchronous
  • Laboratory/simulation courses are taught on campus
• On-site clinical practicums and the completion of 750 clinical hours at various hospitals and clinics is required.

Foundational curriculum content deemed essential for all students who pursue a master’s degree in nursing regardless of the functional focus:

• NURS 500 - Professional Role Development into Advanced Nursing Practice
• NURS 501 - Applied Research and Biostatistics in Evidence-Based Practice
• NURS 502 - Population Health and Healthcare Delivery in a Global Society
• NURS 503 - Healthcare Quality Outcomes, Safety and Informatics

Essential content for students that provide direct patient services at the advanced level:

• NURS 504 - Advanced Pharmacology Across the Lifespan
• NURS 505 - Advanced Physiology/Pathophysiology Across the Lifespan
• NURS 506 - Advanced Physical Assessment, Clinical Reasoning and Diagnosis Across the Lifespan
• NURS 507 Lab - Advanced Physical Assessment Across the Lifespan

Curriculum

Year One - Fall Semester

Year One - Spring Semester 

Year One - Summer Semester

Year Two - Fall Semester

Year Two - Spring Semester

Year Two - Spring Semester 

Year Three - Fall Semester

Important Dates

May 2, 2023 - NursingCAS portal opens

July 31, 2023 - Deadline to apply

Admissions Criteria

Applicants must apply through NursingCAS.

North Central College’s MSN program is committed to holistic admission, which assesses an applicant’s unique experiences alongside traditional measures of academic achievement such as grades and test scores. Admission decisions will be made within two months of the application deadline and the program will begin fall 2023. Applicants will be invited to participate in an on-campus and/or virtual interview format.

Applicants must have:

• An earned BSN of CCNE or ACEN baccalaureate accredited program
• A current, unencumbered RN license
  • While North Central accepts students from multiple states/territories, applicants outside of Illinois should check with their state regulatory body
• A cumulative GPA of 3.00 on a 4.00 scale for the last 60 hours of their BSN program
• Submitted official post-secondary academic transcripts
• Completed undergraduate statistics (3 credit hours) with a “C” or higher
• Submitted a resume/CV with academic and work history, certificates, and services
• Submitted three letters of recommendation--at least one from a professional nurse colleague (supervisor or preceptor) and one from a professor or graduate-level prepared nursing colleague who can address the applicant’s professional and/or academic qualifications
• Completed a personal narrative including experiences (healthcare experiences, educational background, community enrichment), and attributes (resilience, integrity, intellectual curiosity, ethnicity/race, socioeconomic status, multilingual abilities, geography, faith, perseverance)
• Completed the NursingCAS application and submitted fees

Apply Today!

State Authorization and Reciprocity Agreements

The U.S. Department of Education requires institutions offering distance education to attain authorization from the state where educational services are offered. North Central College is authorized by the state of Illinois to participate in the National Council for State Authorization and Reciprocity Agreements (NC-SARA). The NC-SARA provides oversight of post-secondary distance education, allowing the institution to provide online education to students in participating SARA member states, without obtaining authorization in that state. Regulations vary from state to state. All states EXCEPT California are currently authorized as SARA member states. SARA provides institutional reciprocity for educational offerings only and does not provide reciprocity for professional licensing. Information regarding NC-SARA can be found here.

Professional Licensure

State Board of Nursing requirements vary by state. Therefore, students considering enrollment in online graduate nursing programs, should contact the licensing agency of the state where their educational institution is located prior to beginning their academic program to ensure that the program meets the standards established by their home state’s licensure regulations.

For Fall 2023 admissions, North Central College Graduate Nursing Program, is offering the MSN and Post-Master Certificates to students in the following states and US Territories:

• American Samoa
• Connecticut
• Delaware
• District of Colombia
• Florida
• Guam
• Hawaii
• Illinois
• Indiana
• Maine
• Maryland
• Massachusetts
• Michigan
• Mississippi
• Montana
• New Jersey
• North Carolina
• Rhode Island
• Texas
• Virgin Islands
• Virginia
• West Virginia

Onsite Requirements

In addition to on-site practicum experiences local to the student at approved institutional affiliates to meet required practicum hours, students in the graduate nursing program are required to come to Naperville, IL campus for 2-3 campus visits* during the course of their program. The number and length of the visits varies by specialty program. Prospective students may inquire with the Graduate Nursing Program at North Central College to confirm on-campus requirements. Limited assistance to support the visits may be available.

*Dates will be provided prior to the start of the program

Georgine Maisch - DNP, MSN, RN, CHSE, CNE 

Program Director - Interim 

Georgine Maisch DNP, MSN, RN, CHSE, CNE, has been a Registered Nurse for over 35 years. She began her nursing education journey in 2012, as a clinical instructor, inspiring her passion to educate future nurses and healthcare providers. Teaching prelicensure undergraduate nursing students led to her focus in simulation in nursing and healthcare education, where she is a Certified Healthcare Simulation Educator. Georgine is also a Certified Nurse Educator. In 2021, Georgine earned her DNP in Transformative Leadership: Systems, from Rush University. Nurses play an important role throughout all areas of the healthcare system and the health of the population. Providing advanced level education develops nurse’s knowledge, skills and abilities to provide effective leadership, education and quality care to address the complexities of the healthcare system and improve healthcare outcomes. I am excited to be a part of the North Central College community and for this opportunity to develop an excellent and engaging Masters in Nursing Program 

Areas of expertise: Leadership, Nursing Education, Simulation, Maternal Newborn 

Areas of interest: Curriculum Development; Nursing Education, Patient Safety, Simulation Education, Leadership Development 

Daria Wrobel - DNP, MSN, RN 

Coordinator of the MSN Nurse Educator Track, Assistant Professor of Nursing 

Dr. Daria Wrobel is committed to serving students, faculty, and guests as the coordinator of the MSN Nurse Educator Track. With an extensive and detailed resume of experience as both a clinician and an educator, Dr. Wrobel is well-suited to lead and mentor the nursing professionals of the future. Her educational experiences began as a Chamberlain University College of Nursing teacher assistant. In this role, she began learning every aspect of being a nurse educator and connecting with students in a meaningful, productive manner. She soon took on an advanced role with Rasmussen University College of Nursing, where she served as a full-time instructor. She led and taught a variety of courses, including lab, clinical, and didactic, within the Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) curriculum. Her career trajectory continued to grow as she took on a role with North Central College as an assistant professor of nursing and the MSN Nurse Educator Track coordinator. Dr. Wrobel received her Doctor of Nursing Practice and Master of Science in Nursing from Chamberlain University College of Nursing. In her free time, Daria enjoys traveling and spending quality time with her family and friends. Daria is a loving wife and mother of two children. 

Areas of expertise: Nursing Education 

Kara Fenne - DNP, RN, PEL-CSN, CNE 

Associate Professor, Coordinator of MSN Executive Leadership Track 

Kara Fenne DNP, RN, PEL-CSN, CNE has 3 decades of experience in the field of nursing. Her clinical experience is in community health, specifically school nursing, home care and hospice. She earned her professional educator licensure and Certification in School Nursing from University of Illinois Chicago in 2017. In addition, Dr. Fenne is an experienced educator who has served in several leadership positions at her former university. She is a Certified Nurse Educator with 7 years of teaching experience in the areas of leadership, ethics, policy and population health. Dr. Fenne earned the Aurora University Meritorious Faculty Award in 2020 and the Outstanding Faculty Award in 2022 from the BSN graduating seniors in spring of 2022. 

In 2022, Dr Fenne earned a DNP in Health Executive Leadership from Indiana University. Her DNP project focused on breaking down barriers between academia and practice settings to foster effective clinical experiences for prelicensure nursing students and staff nurses. In May of 2023, Dr. Fenne joined the North Central College MSN Program as the Coordinator of the MSN Executive Leadership Track. She is excited to be a part of developing nurses who will be innovators and transformational leaders in the healthcare setting. 

Areas of expertise: Population Health, Health Care Leadership, Nursing Education 

Areas of interest: Impact of Organizational Culture on Outcomes, Academic-Practice Partnership, Innovation in Nursing Education, History of Nursing 

Jessy Thomas - DNP, MSN, MPH, FNP-C, RN 

Family Nurse Practitioner and Psychiatry Nurse Practitioner Track Coordinator 

Dr. Thomas has been a practicing Board Certified Family Nurse Practitioner since 2005. Dr. Thomas completed her MSN/MPH with a concentration in FNP and Occupational and Environmental Medicine in 2005, and continued on with a DNP for Advanced Public Health Nursing in 2018. She has been adjunct faculty at various Chicago institutions, as well as a clinical preceptor in the field for many FNP students. She is truly passionate about research and education for chronic disease management in community health settings, as well as working on preventative health measures in the community. Dr. Thomas believes in educating and giving students the best experience for learning in order to become efficient and effective nurse providers, leaders, and educators. 

Areas of expertise: Family Practice, Community Health, Occupational Medicine 

Areas of interest: Community Health, Preventative Health in underserved areas 

Dr. Christine Johnson 

Post-Master APRN Certificate: Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner

The North Central College Post-Master’s APRN Certificate program provides opportunities for registered nurses, who already have a master’ in nursing in another discipline, to advance their education, and gain the specialized knowledge, skills and abilities to deliver independent care as clinicians.

Students will learn how to perform medical diagnoses and treatment through evidence-based didactic instruction. Problem-based learning, simulation and clinical practice hours will allow students to deepen their clinical reasoning and decision-making skills. Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner programming will prepare nurses to provide a wide range of mental health services across the lifespan, focusing on the bio-psychosocial model of care.

Admission Requirements

Applicants must apply through NursingCAS. Deadline to apply is December 1, 2023.

North Central College’s MSN Certificate program is committed to a holistic admission process which assesses an applicant’s unique experiences alongside traditional measures of academic achievement such as grades and test scores. Admission decisions will be made within two months of the application deadline and the program will begin in the Spring semester. Applicants will be invited to participate in an on-campus and/or virtual interview format.

Applicants must have:

• An earned MSN from a CCNE or ACEN Master accredited program
• A current, unencumbered RN license
  • While North Central accepts students from multiple states/territories, applicants outside of Illinois should check with their state regulatory body
• A cumulative GPA of 3.00 on a 4.00 scale for their prior MSN degree course work
• Submitted official post-secondary academic transcripts
• Submitted a resume/CV with academic and work history, certificates and services
• Submitted three letters of recommendation--at least one from a professional nurse colleague (supervisor or preceptor) and one from a professor or graduate-level prepared nursing colleague who can address the applicant’s professional and/or academic qualifications
• Completed a personal narrative including experiences (healthcare experiences, educational background, community enrichment), and attributes (resilience, integrity, intellectual curiosity, ethnicity/race, socioeconomic status, multilingual abilities, geography, faith, perseverance)
• Completed the NursingCAS application and submitted fees

Apply Today!

Certification Exam

Upon completion of the MSN Certificate program, graduates are eligible to sit for a targeted certificate examination offered by one of the national credentialing centers. Once certified, graduates from the PMHNP track, who have successfully passed their national specialty boards certification can apply for an Advanced Practice license in their state of residence to be eligible to practice independently in their specialty as an PMHNP-BC.

*Please see specific state requirements for APN licensure

Curriculum

The Post-Master APRN Certificate program:

• Begins each Spring semester
• Offers 16-month or 20-month schedule options
• Is 35 credit hours OR 23 credit hours if student holds a NP degree in a difference focus from Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
  • Number of credit hours required is dependent upon the student’s prior advanced practice degree and course work

Year One - Spring Semester

Year One - Summer Semester

Year One - Fall Semester

Year Two - Spring Semester