Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner/Doctor of Nursing Practice (PMHNP/DNP) Preceptorship Program

The PMHNP/DNP Preceptorship Program strives to prepare students for graduation by training them to assess individuals, diagnose psychiatric disorders, devise treatment plans, provide therapy, and prescribe and manage medications for patients with a variety of different psychiatric disorders across the lifespan.

Sheppard Pratt hospitals, located in Towson, MD and Elkridge, MD serve individuals with acute psychiatric and behavioral health needs requiring inpatient and day hospitalization services. 

Program setting opportunities include: 

• Psychiatric Urgent Care 
• Inpatient units
  • Child and Adolescent Unit
  • Adult General Unit
  • Geriatric Unit
  • Adult Thought Disorders Unit 
  • Co-occurring Adult Unit 
  • Adult Neuropsychiatric Unit
  • Adolescent Neuropsychiatric Unit
  • Center for Eating Disorders
• Day hospital:
  • Adult General Day Hospital
  • Adult Thought Disorders Day Hospital
• Residential treatment centers
• Special education school settings 

Patients’ average length of stay is 7-10 days in the inpatient settings and 6-9 months in residential treatment settings. The focus of treatment is on stabilization of psychiatric symptoms, skill acquisition, and skill application necessary for patients to transition safely back into the community. Nurse practitioner trainee placement on a particular unit is not guaranteed.

Length of program:

• Approximately 120-180 hours per preceptorship 
• Training can begin Jan-April, May-Aug, Sept-Dec
• Start date is flexible

Eligibility requirements:

• Current student of an accredited PMHNP Masters or Doctor of Nursing Program
• Student must be enrolled at an academic Institution that has an existing contract/affiliation agreement with Sheppard Pratt
• Students applying to this rotation must have an active BSN license in the State of Maryland or a compact state license 
• Student must have a previous experience as a psychiatric nurse

Trainees can expect:

• Weekly 1:1 supervisory meetings
• Multidisciplinary mentorship 
• No telehealth, preceptorship is strictly in person
• Depending on treatment settings, interns may also be required to complete a final project

General description of duties/projects: 

• Conduct psychiatric evaluations on new admissions and implement interventions as needed
• Participate in medication management
• Participate in daily/weekly treatment team meetings, with multidisciplinary collaboration
• Participate in monthly individualized treatment team review meetings to report progress
• Document daily psychiatric interviews in electronic medical records

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