Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Residency Program
With generous support from the Office for Academic Affiliations (OAA), the Durham VA Health Care System, in partnership with an academic school, has developed an innovative mental health nurse practitioner (MHNP) Residency Program.
Accepting applications for the Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Residency Program beginning October 31st, a year before September cohort starts. (i.e. cohort starts September 2025, application cycle opens October 31st 2024)
The MHNP Residency Program will enhance the novice nurse practitioners' knowledge and skills acquired during their nursing practice and graduate-level academic education and prepare them to be proficient in providing mental health treatment for the veteran population.
The primary goal of the MHNP Residency Program is to:
Enhance mental health workforce by producing nurse practitioners proficient in the following:
- Comprehensive mental health evaluation
- Assessment, diagnostic testing, treatment, and planning of care in mental health for Veterans.
- Management of psychopharmacology, including consideration of risks and benefits of psychoptropics
- System-based approach to anticipate and deploy resources to optimize outcomes
- Leadership of interprofessional teams in providing high quality care and designing quality improvement initiatives
The trainees will spend 40 hours in clinical and didactic learning activities weekly to become proficient in 24 competencies specified in MHNPR curriculum.
- Residency curriculum includes: 80% experiential and 20% didactic learning.
- MHNP Residency clinical sites include various clinical areas of the Durham VA Medical Center, community-based programs, and home-based programs of the Durham VA Health Care System.
- Clinical rotation sites include: Psychiatric Acute Recovery Center (Inpatient Psychiatry), PEC (Psychiatry Emergency Care), Primary Care Mental Health Integration, and Psychiatric Consults & Liaison (80%)
- Clinical and didactic activities are planned which are hybrid (face to face or telehealth)
- Integrated and parallel clinical didactic sessions (20%)
- Quality-improvement project
- Didactic sessions frequently occur in conjunction with other DVAHCS training programs including the Psychiatry residents and the Geriatric Extended Care and Primary Care, NP residents to promote interprofessional learning.
- Clinical faculty will facilitate the novice NP’s journey from a novice advanced practice provider to a proficient advanced practice provider with expertise in mental health.
- Upon successful completion of the residency, the trainees will be given the opportunity to apply for available vacancies within the VA Health Care System across the country.
Eligibility
To be eligible, candidates must:
- Be a U.S. born or naturalized citizen.
- Be a graduate of an accredited nurse practitioner program within the past 12 months. Candidates graduating in May of the application year also can apply.
- Hold national certification as a PMHNP by start of program in September 2025.
- Be a novice Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, no previous experience as a PMHNP
- Licensure:
- Current and unrestricted registration as an RN and NP in the state of North Carolina. (NC is a Compact Nursing State)
- Proficient in written and spoken English.
Residency Stipend and Benefits
- Pass a background/security investigation.
- Pass pre-employment physical examination.
- Stipend is paid by the VA Office of Academic Affiliations (OAA).
- Government health care medical plan.
- Paid federal holidays.
- PTO & sick leave accrued per pay period.
- No call or weekend shifts required.
- 100% protected learning time.
Application process
The application process opens annually from October 31 through January 31. To be considered, you will need to submit the following documents:
- - Federal Form: Application for Health Professions Trainees (HPT’s) VA Form 10-2850D
- -Resume/CV- Include details of academic preparation, professional experience, professional activities, scholarly activities, leadership involvement, awards, and volunteering.
- References- Provide name, email address, and telephone contact information of THREE individuals who can serve as your reference. Reference must include the following categories.
- One faculty member from your graduate/NP program
- One preceptor for your clinical rotation as a nurse practitioner student
- One coworker/manager/supervisor from your RN practice
Email the following documents to VHADURnurserecruiterteam@va.gov & Bich-Tuyen.Nguyen@va.gov
Last date to receive completed application is January 31st, 2025.
Bich-Tuyen T. Nguyen DNP, MSN, RN, PMHNP-BC
Program Director - PMHNP Residency Program Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, DVAHCS
VA Durham health care
Phone:
Email: Bich-Tuyen.Nguyen@va.gov
Paul Riordan MD
Collaborating Psychiatrist - PMHNP Residency Program VA Durham health care
VA Durham health care
Email: paul.riordan@va.gov
Anne Derouin DNP, APRN, CPNP, PMHS, FAANP
Durham VA PMHNP NPR Academic Partner Vice Dean for Academic Affairs, Duke University School of Nursing
VA Durham health care
Email: anne.derouin@duke.edu