Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Programs in New Mexico - NM

By Rebecca R. Quintana, allied health world contributing writer
Published: February, 2 2011

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New Mexico does not refer to nurse practitioners as advanced practice nurses (APRNs) as most states do, but instead uses the term certified nurse practitioner, or CNP. In order to be licensed as a CNP in New Mexico, you must have certain qualifications. These include having a current RN (registered nursing) license, and at least a master’s degree in nursing. Unlike other states, which may have fairly general guidelines with regard to education, New Mexico is very specific. For the state to consider your education valid, your program has to have included at least one full year of study, with a third of it having been didactic (including a minimum 24 hours in pharmacology) and two-thirds having been spent in preceptorship. As with most other states, you must also be nationally certified as a nurse practitioner to practice in New Mexico.

The state of New Mexico does have at least one in-state psychiatric nurse practitioner specialty program, but if you are located in a remote part of the state, you can also get your degree online through a New Mexico university or another state’s online program. If you opt for an out of state school, be sure to check the program against the New Mexico State Nursing Board qualifications mentioned above, so you don’t run into any issues when applying for your license later.