Welcome to the University of Iowa Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner program. My name is Dr. Daniel Wesemann and as a graduate of this program I am thrilled to be the director of this program. The need for Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioners has never been greater in Iowa. Iowa ranks 48th in the nation for number of psychiatric beds available, 47th in the nation for number of psychiatrist per capita and 66 counties in Iowa have no psychiatrist. Therefore, it is an exciting time to be a Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner. Graduates from our program are in high demand and this translates to working in a variety of clinical settings of your choice for a very competitive wage.

The Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner program at University of Iowa blends superb academics with first-rate clinical experiences. Along with myself the staff at the College of Nursing work to find you the best clinical experience that is as close to your home as we can make it. Each year we accept up to 10 nurses into our four-year DNP program. Our class size is small so we can pay attention to every aspect for every student throughout the entire program. 

The first two years of this program is all-academic. You will be provided didactic training along with the other Nurse Practitioner specialties. During the third year of training students work toward gaining competence in treating psychiatric/mental health patient across the lifespan. Students get at least 540 clinical hours which is more than is required by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). In the fourth year the students work on a DNP project and continue to refine their clinical skills.

The program has a 100% pass rate on the ANCC boards exam and a 100% employment rate within three months of graduation. If you want to explore your potential, then apply and start your journey as a Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner at the University of Iowa.

I look forward to connecting with you very soon. 

Daniel Wesemann, DNP, PMHNP-BC, ARNP
Director, Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Program