Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Programs in Maine - ME

A study conducted by the Muskie School of Public Service of the University of Southern Maine found that because of the shortage of primary care psychiatric practitioners in many rural areas of Maine general primary care providers provide more than half of the psychiatric services in rural areas. Registered nurses who have the desire to contribute to the overall general mental health of the state and make a difference in the lives of Maine’s residents with mental health conditions may want to investigate psychiatric nurse practitioner programs in Maine. These programs, which may be available via distance learning or in a classroom setting, educate RNs with a bachelor degree in assessing, diagnosing, managing and treating patients experiencing mental health problems.

In addition to learning the basics of physiology, pathopyhsiology and psychophysiology, psychiatric nurse practitioner students in Maine will be taught how to handle crisis intervention and perform psychiatric triage.

Psychiatric nurse practitioner students must also complete clinical internship experiences, which occur in medical facilities or specialized facilities that treat mental health problems. Examples of institutions across Maine that could be utilized for practicums include Maine Medical Center, Dorothea Dix Psychiatric Center, Mercy Hospital, Riverview Psychiatric Center, Brighton Medical Center, Spring Harbor Hospital, St. Josephs Hospital and Youth Alternatives Ingraham.