Graduate Program Director, Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP)

About the role

The Graduate Program Director, Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) will lead the new PMHNP track starting August 2026. This role involves creating and maintaining relationships with stakeholders, overseeing program planning, and ensuring compliance with accreditation standards.

Responsibilities

• Create and maintain effective relationships with outside stakeholders, particularly for the development and maintenance of clinical affiliations.
• Foster future growth and expansion of programs.
• Provide academic and administrative leadership for the PMHNP program, including program launch, implementation, and continuous quality improvement.
• Lead strategic planning for program growth, innovation, and long-term sustainability including future initiatives.
• Ensure alignment with AACN Essentials, NONPF competencies, CCNE standards, and state and federal regulatory requirements.
• Monitor, evaluate, and report program outcomes, student outcomes, certification pass rates, and quality indicators.
• Collaborate with School of Nursing and Borra College of Health Sciences leadership on resource planning, budget management, and program performance metrics.
• Coordinate CCNE accreditation preparation, reporting requirements and site visit activities in collaboration with the Associate Dean of Nursing.
• Led PMHNP curriculum development, implementation, and revision to align with regulatory compliance and best practices in psychiatric mental health nursing education.
• Serve as the content expert for PMHNP curriculum, maintaining currency in the field including practice, policy, and evidence-based teaching strategies.
• Oversee development and revision of program policies, student handbooks, clinical requirements, and academic procedures.
• Recruit, mentor, evaluate, and support graduate faculty, clinical instructors, and staff.
• Collaborate with School of Nursing leadership to ensure faculty workload, scheduling, and instructional resources support program success.
• Foster a collegial, inclusive, and professional supportive environment for faculty and staff.
• Teach graduate-level PMHNP courses consistent with expertise and program needs.

Qualifications

• Doctoral degree (PhD, EdD, DNP) in nursing or related field required.
• Current national certification as a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (AANP or ANCC).
• Current, unencumbered RN and APRN licensure in Illinois (or eligibility for Illinois licensure by start date).
• Minimum of three (3) years clinical practice as a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner.
• Demonstrated experience in graduate nursing education, curriculum development, and accreditation processes.
• Strong leadership, communication, organizational, and collaborative skills.
• Demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and student-centered learning.