Addressing the Mental Health Care Crisis
How Creighton Prepares Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioners
A young patient sat in a Camden, New Jersey primary care clinic, drowning in grief after losing both parents—one to murder and the other to related trauma. The patient desperately needed psychological therapy and counseling, but when the nurse practitioner tried to refer them to a mental health specialist, the waiting list stretched for months. The opioid epidemic had overwhelmed existing mental health services.
“This is what I call a super crisis,” says Joseph Tariman, PhD, MBA, APRN-NP, FAAN, professor and associate dean of graduate nursing programs at Creighton University College of Nursing. He practiced for years in oncology and primary care clinics and saw this pattern repeat: existing patients already in crisis, new emergencies overwhelming the system. “We already have existing patients that really need this workforce to take care of them.”
The National Institute of Mental Health said in 2025 that in any given year, it is estimated that more than one in five U.S. adults live with a mental illness. And yet, according to the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), over 120 million Americans live in federally designated mental-health professional shortage areas (HPSAs). In rural Nebraska counties with no mental health providers at all, and in emergency departments where patients in crisis wait days for psychiatric care, the gap between need and access presents both a major challenge and a significant opportunity for nurses pursuing advanced practice.
At a Glance: The Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Opportunity
- Job Growth: 35% projected employment growth through 2034 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics)
- Average Salary: $141,112 annually (2025)
- Workforce Need: Projected shortage of nearly 15,000 PMHNPs by 2037 if demand remains elevated (HRSA)
- Creighton Success: An overall 99% pass rate on certification exams for nurse practitioners
- Clinical Training: 1,200 clinical hours (exceeds national minimum requirements)
What Does a PMHNP Do?
Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioners (PMHNPs)—also known as psych NPs or PMH-NPs—offer a solution to the fragmented care many patients face. Instead of seeing different providers for prescriptions and waiting months for a separate therapist, patients receive integrated treatment from a single practitioner.
“I’m a nurse first,” says Sara Banzhaf, DNP, APRN-NP, PMHNP-BC, associate professor and track leader for the Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner program at Creighton Nursing. “That emphasizes the importance of the therapeutic relationship and establishing trust to provide comprehensive care.”
PMHNPs can assess, diagnose and treat psychiatric-mental health conditions across the lifespan. Their scope includes pharmacological interventions—they have prescriptive authority in all 50 states—and psychotherapeutic approaches, including therapy, education and crisis intervention.
I think that's what makes our role unique.
This comprehensive approach is critically important in a system starved for resources. According to the American Psychological Association, about 75% of primary care visits involve mental or behavioral health issues, yet only 6.5% of nurse practitioners specialize in psychiatry (American Association of Nurse Practitioners, 2024). Primary care providers are managing mental health conditions they may not feel fully equipped to handle, while patients who need specialized care are unable to access it.
PMHNPs work in almost every healthcare setting: outpatient community mental health centers, psychiatric emergency services, primary care clinics integrating behavioral health, schools, correctional facilities, VA hospitals and increasingly through telepsychiatry. This versatility allows them to provide mental health expertise wherever it is most needed.
Nurses often see how mental health impacts overall patient wellness, which can spark interest in the specialty. Kristina Seiler, BSN'20, RN, DNP'26, discovered this during a 2019 student internship at CHI Health's Immanuel Medical Center, working on the Child and Adolescent Behavioral Health Unit. After graduating from Creighton’s nursing program, she worked in oncology at Nebraska Medicine before recognizing her calling and pursuing her Psychiatric Mental Health DNP, with graduation projected for 2026.
The Workforce Gap: Why PMHNPs Are in High Demand
Currently, 69% of all rural counties lack a psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner, according to a 2024 HRSA brief. Nearly 170 million Americans lived in a Mental Health Professional Shortage Area as of December 2023, with average wait times for behavioral health services reaching 48 days (National Center for Health Workforce Analysis).
In Nebraska, nearly 20% of residents experience mental health issues each year—a rate that has doubled since the pandemic, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). Throughout the state, 32 out of 93 counties lack a single mental health provider. The psychiatrist shortage worsens the problem: 80% of rural counties do not have a practicing psychiatrist, and projections estimate a nationwide shortage of 14,000 to 31,000 psychiatrists (Academic Psychiatry, 2019).
“There is a tremendous need,” Banzhaf says. “Covid increased awareness for both the need and importance of mental health, and opened up a space for us to talk openly about the topic, yet stigma continues to persist.”
The opioid crisis compounds everything. Tariman’s “super crisis” metaphor captures how substance use disorders have overwhelmed a system already struggling to serve patients with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and major depression.
The workforce shortage creates opportunity. Employment for nurse practitioners is projected to grow 35% through 2034, significantly outpacing average occupations, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The average PMHNP salary in 2025 is approximately $141,112 per year, with strong job security across diverse practice settings.
How Long Does It Take to Become a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner?
For nurses with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) who want to become psychiatric mental health nurse practitioners, a BSN-to-DNP program is typically completed part-time while working—the path most students choose. For those able to study full-time, the program can be completed in three to four years.
Creighton’s Psychiatric Mental Health Across the Lifespan Nurse Practitioner DNP program is tailored specifically for BSN-prepared registered nurses. The program structure enables students to develop expertise progressively.
“One thing I didn’t realize before starting was that the first portion of the DNP program is completed alongside students from other specialty tracks,” Seiler explains. “We take advanced-level core courses together, which provides a great opportunity to collaborate and learn from one another’s perspectives.”
After core coursework, students advance to specialty-specific courses that focus on psychiatric mental health assessment, diagnosis, psychopharmacology and psychotherapy across the lifespan. Clinical rotations begin at this stage, requiring 1,200 clinical hours—more than the national minimum standards.
The program delivers fully online education with scheduled live sessions, enabling working nurses to finish their education without relocating. Students will visit campus during their health assessment coursework, and occasionally for courses following that term.
“The program is challenging but incredibly fulfilling,” Seiler notes. “Once the program-specific courses begin, the workload becomes more intensive and emphasizes the importance of strong time management skills. Clinical rotations allow you to apply what you’re learning in real time—a rewarding experience that brings everything together.”
Why Choose Creighton for Your Psychiatric Mental Health DNP?
When evaluating online PMHNP programs, prospective students should consider clinical hour requirements, faculty expertise and active practice, certification exam pass rates and mission alignment. Creighton sets itself apart through decades of institutional commitment.
“Creighton University, in alignment with the Jesuit mission, has long prioritized psychiatric-mental health nursing, even before the current workforce crisis,” Banzhaf emphasizes. “This includes offering psychiatric-mental health as a required rotation in the undergraduate programs as compared to an elective practicum course, and the opportunities for undergraduate students to engage in activities promoting the specialty of psychiatric-mental health nursing.”
Mission-Driven Education
The Jesuit mission—rooted in cura personalis, or care for the whole person—shapes every part of the program. Students participate in reflective practice throughout their education, exploring their reactions to the emotional challenges of mental health work. The curriculum clearly covers compassion fatigue, vicarious trauma and self-care strategies.
“We explore the importance of intentional self-care, which is unique for each student,” Banzhaf explains. “We talk about how this is an essential skill, emphasizing that providing quality care to others starts with care for oneself.”
Faculty Who Practice
Faculty bring both academic credentials and active clinical practice and research to their teaching. Banzhaf has practiced as a PMHNP at the Heart Ministry Center clinic since 2015. When she started, she was the only psychiatric provider. Over the years, she has expanded services to include two therapists and built a full interprofessional treatment team. This experience informs her teaching with current, practical insights students can apply immediately.
For Seiler, choosing Creighton for graduate study “was an easy decision.” She’d loved her undergraduate experience and appreciated how genuinely the professors cared about student success. When she learned that Banzhaf, her freshman year advisor, would again provide support and guidance, “returning to Creighton felt like coming home.”
Proven Outcomes
Creighton maintains a 99% pass rate on certification exams for nurse practitioners across all specialty tracks. This success demonstrates thorough academic preparation and extensive clinical training that exceed industry standards.
Admission to the program requires an active RN license, a BSN from an accredited program, at least 2,000 hours of direct patient care experience in psychiatric-mental health nursing, a personal statement and three letters of recommendation. The admissions committee reviews applications holistically, considering alignment with Creighton’s mission of serving underserved communities.
Real-World Impact: How PMHNPs Change Lives and Systems
The value of psychiatric mental health nurse practitioners extends beyond individual patient interactions. PMHNPs create system-level change that multiplies their impact.
Consider Banzhaf’s trajectory. Starting as the lone PMHNP at the Heart Ministry Center clinic, she established integrated psychiatric services that eventually grew to include multiple therapists and a full interprofessional team. That expansion means dozens more patients can access mental health care without waiting months for appointments.
“We need to increase our enrollment because there is a big need out there,” Tariman says. “This is an area where we can really make a big difference.”
For individual patients, that difference can be life-changing. During her student internship on the child and adolescent behavioral health unit, Seiler discovered the profound impact of this work.
“I loved getting to know each patient and helping them find ways to improve their mental health and overall well-being,” she reflects. “It’s not always easy, but it’s incredibly rewarding. If you value connection, empathy and helping people through some of their hardest moments, this specialty is truly meaningful.”
The multiplier effect spans entire careers. PMHNPs deliver care across acute, outpatient, community and telehealth settings, allowing a single practitioner to serve thousands of patients over many years while addressing the unique needs of diverse populations. This flexibility is especially critical in underserved communities—rural areas, correctional facilities and schools without mental health resources—where they might be the only mental health specialist available.
“I’d tell them to spend some time in a behavioral health setting or shadow a PMH nurse. That’s how I realized it was the right fit for me,” Seiler advises prospective students. “During my student nurse internship on a child and adolescent behavioral health unit, I fell in love with the work.”
The question isn’t whether mental health care needs more psychiatric nurse practitioners. It does. Desperately.
The question is whether nurses with the calling to serve vulnerable populations, the resilience to manage emotionally complex work and the commitment to comprehensive, patient-centered care will step forward to meet that need.
For those who attend, programs like Creighton’s offer more than education. They create a community rooted in Jesuit values, with faculty who practice what they teach and preparation that produces practitioners who stand out in clinical settings from the very first day.
Learn more about Creighton University’s Psychiatric Mental Health Across the Lifespan Nurse Practitioner DNP program. Connect with an admissions advisor to discuss how your background and professional goals align with this specialty track.
