An online master's degree in nursing with a psychiatric and mental health specialization are designed for current registered nurses who are unable to attend courses on campus. In addition to being licensed nurses, applicants must have at bachelor's degree in nursing and minimum of one year of experience. Some programs require students to complete an interview and submit transcripts and a professional resumé.
Students in the psychiatric and mental health program are required to take courses in the management of psychopathology, ethical and legal policy issues, group and family theory, individual therapy, drug therapy, psychiatric diagnostic reasoning and health assessment. These courses teach registered nurses how to integrate psychiatry principles into nursing practice. Opportunities are also available to learn about the development of psychiatric mental health policy, management and leadership strategies, and practice psychiatric mental health.
In addition to online academic coursework, a psychiatric and mental health program requires that students complete an internship in a medical or healthcare setting. Internships offer opportunities to apply theories learned in the classroom into a practical setting. Students have a chance to work with patients under the supervision of a professional nurse. Programs allow students to complete internships at a local medical facility.
Students taking an online psychiatry and mental health degree program must have a computer with high-speed Internet access. Communication between teachers and students takes place through message boards, chat rooms and e-mails. Online programs also require students to have an up-to-date operating system and word-processing software. Students must be able to navigate computer screens, retrieve computer files and download documents.