Beginning with the fall 2008 semester, Georgia State University's Byrdine F. Lewis School of Nursing will make it easier for students to earn master's degrees in psychiatric/mental health nursing.

"The shortage of master's-prepared nurses in this specialty is well-documented, and this program will make it much more convenient for working nurses to get the degrees they need," said Carol Howell, associate professor of nursing. "Our new CNS/NP [clinical nurse specialist/nurse practitioner] in psychiatric/mental health nursing program will increase access for advanced practice nursing education to nurses in Georgia and in surrounding states."

Because work schedules, family obligations and traffic make it difficult for many health care professionals to attend classes in downtown Atlanta, Georgia State's new CNS/NP program is Web-enhanced. Students will be able to log on to virtual classrooms from their computers and complete clinical hours at sites close to home.

The software used by Georgia State allows instructors to teach, post notes, set up chat sessions, answer questions and test students.

"The graduate students won't have to be physically on campus, except for four days a semester, which will give students and instructors an opportunity for face-to-face interaction. All courses offered during the semester will meet on those same four days," said Howell, Ph.D., APRN-BC.

Students can enroll in school full time or part time.

"Motivated students could finish the program in two years, but we anticipate that many students will opt to take classes part time and will complete the degree in about three-and-a-half years," Howell said.

Advanced practice nurses who want to add to their skill sets with degrees in psychiatric/mental health nursing can earn post-master's certificates.

Georgia State is switching from a CNS degree in mental health nursing to the CNS/NP program because it's more in keeping with nursing trends and medical preference.

"There is a lot of overlap between the clinical nurse specialist and nurse practitioner roles in psychiatric/mental health nursing, but this program broadens the scope of practice," Howell said. "By taking two nurse-practitioner courses, our students will graduate with more expertise in physical... conditions as well as psychiatric knowledge."

Program graduates will be able to take either the psychiatric/mental health CNS or NP exam offered by the American Nurses Credentialing Center.

Students will study the theories of advanced psychiatric nursing; advanced pharmacology; advanced psychiatric care for individuals and families; ambulatory care of adults; advanced professional nurse issues and health assessment; and other courses leading to a final-semester capstone course on complex cases, taught by a clinical nurse specialist and a nurse practitioner.

The program requires students to complete 48 semester hours and 720 hours of clinical instruction.

"Our students will participate in clinical instruction under CNS and NP preceptors in a variety of public and private settings, including doctors' offices, community agencies and health care facilities," Howell said.

Because Georgia's advanced practice nurses were granted prescriptive privileges in 2006, they can work and practice independently under physician protocols.

Recruiting nurses to work in psychiatric/mental health is a challenge, Howell said.

"Psych is an area that people are still a little afraid of," she said. "You don't always know what to expect with a mental health patient, but I like that challenge and find it stimulating."

Howell has taught psychiatric nursing for 30 years at Georgia State and also works in the field.

"We're excited about the Web-enhanced program, because we know it is filling a need," she said.