NRS 859: finishing the PMHNP clinicals at Clarkson College
NRS 859 Advanced Psychiatric-Mental Health Concepts is the last clinical course in Clarkson College's PMHNP track and the heaviest: 180 hours for MSN and certificate students, 250 for the BSN to DNP. The catalog expects increasingly autonomous practice with multi-focal problems, so your preceptor needs time and trust to spare, and any population hours still missing have to be closed here.
Secure your final PMHNP preceptor
Tell us your NRS 859 term and hours plan. We look for capacity first.
The largest block of hours in the track
The 2026-27 catalog lists 180 hours for NRS 859 in the MSN and certificate and 250 for the BSN to DNP. On the MSN side that is 20 more than NRS 857 or NRS 858; on the doctoral side it is 50 more than each psychiatric course before it.
| Plan | Hours | 15-week fall or spring | 12-week summer | Half by midterm |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MSN or certificate | 180 | 12 a week | 15 a week | 90 |
| BSN to DNP | 250 | About 16.7 a week | About 20.8 a week | 125 |
At the doctoral figure, a summer NRS 859 means between two and three full clinic days every week, on top of the RN job Clarkson's 2021-22 handbook required graduate students to keep. If you have a choice of term, fall or spring gives those 250 hours three extra weeks to spread across.
A preceptor for autonomous practice
The catalog asks for increasingly autonomous practice with multi-focal psychiatric-mental health problems. The strongest NRS 859 preceptor lets you see the patient first, build the assessment and plan, then present and defend it, with less step-by-step direction than in earlier courses.
The formal rules match NRS 856 through NRS 858: a psychiatrist or PMHNP, licensed in the state where you do the hours, with no fewer than two years of experience and no family tie to you. What differs is capacity. Carrying 180 or 250 hours in one term takes a preceptor with enough clinic days to host you most weeks and a practice busy enough to fill them.
Close out the track's minimums
The final course is your last chance to meet what Clarkson's November 2023 PMHNP sheet requires across the track. Before the term starts, add up your Typhon records and check each line.
Check before NRS 859 begins
- At least 100 hours with adults 18 to 59
- At least 50 hours with children and adolescents under 18
- At least 50 hours with adults 60 and over
- Telehealth still within the 300-hour ceiling, every session with you present with the provider
- The 50 therapist hours from NRS 856 on record
- Every hour logged and approved, none from before an agreement was final
If one minimum is short, the usual fix is a second preceptor for part of NRS 859, which Clarkson's limit of two per course allows. Arrange it before the term, since that second agreement is due on the same date as the first.
What runs alongside NRS 859, and when you finish
Alongside the final clinical, each Clarkson NP track places a transition-to-practice course worth two credits with no clinical hours attached. For PMHNP students that pairing falls in the NRS 859 term, so plan for coursework on top of the heaviest clinical load.
The last day of that term is your degree conferral date on Clarkson's calendar, and the calendar lists one commencement per academic year.
| Term | Runs | Degree conferral |
|---|---|---|
| Fall 2026 | Aug. 20 to Dec. 9, 2026 | Dec. 9, 2026 |
| Spring 2027 | Jan. 7 to Apr. 28, 2027 | Apr. 28, 2027 |
| Summer 2027 | May 13 to Aug. 4, 2027 | Aug. 4, 2027 |
Commencement for 2026-27 graduates is Aug. 7, 2027. A term lost to a missing preceptor moves every date in this table; the delayed graduation page shows how the slip works.
If NRS 859 hours run short
Falling behind in the final course hurts most, because no later course can absorb the hours. Clarkson's 2021-22 handbook put the midterm mark at half the course, which here is 90 hours in the MSN and 125 in the BSN to DNP.
If the hours cannot be finished by the last day, Policy AA-10 allows an incomplete for a passing student when course faculty and the program director agree, and it sets a completion date after which the grade converts to an F. Raise it with faculty early; the behind on clinical hours page sets out the options in order.
After the last clinical hour
Once the degree is conferred, the next steps are national certification and an APRN license in the state where you will practice. If that state is Nebraska, expect an extra stage: the first 2,000 hours of practice run under a transition-to-practice agreement, supervised by a physician, osteopathic physician or NP who is licensed and working in Nebraska, and an NP in that supervising role needs 10,000 practice hours of their own. The Nebraska practice page explains the rules and the Board of Nursing change of July 1, 2026.
How we set up your final course
For the last course we look for capacity first: a psychiatrist or PMHNP with enough clinic days for 180 or 250 hours and a caseload that lets you work with growing independence. We check the preceptor against Clarkson's rules, compare your Typhon totals with the population minimums, and add a second provider if a gap remains.
We gather the details for each DocuSign form, flag early any site that needs an affiliation agreement, and remain on call until the term ends; if a preceptor steps away, the replacement search starts that day. Send us your term and hours so far in the form below.
Questions Clarkson students ask
How many hours a week does NRS 859 take?
In a 15-week fall or spring term, 12 hours a week for the 180-hour MSN and certificate version and about 16.7 for the 250-hour BSN to DNP version. In the 12-week summer term those rise to 15 and about 20.8. These are our divisions of the catalog hours; Clarkson's 2021-22 handbook asked for an even spread.
Can my NRS 858 preceptor take me for NRS 859?
Yes, if they still meet the rules, have room for the larger hour count and agree to it. Clarkson's sheets required a new agreement for every course and semester, so you file again and wait for approval before logging hours. A new preceptor can also be the right call if you want a more independent role.
What if my child or older adult hours are still short at NRS 859?
Add a second preceptor whose patients fill the gap; Clarkson's sheets allowed two per course without written faculty approval. File both agreements by the same deadline and tell course faculty your plan before the term starts, so they can confirm how the minimums will be checked.
Is there a campus visit at the end of the PMHNP track?
Clarkson's program pages name one on-campus requirement for NP students, the Graduate Weekend in NRS 830, and nothing in the catalog ties a campus visit to NRS 859. Commencement is a separate event on Clarkson's academic calendar, set for Aug. 7, 2027 for 2026-27 graduates.
Can I start NRS 859 before NRS 858 is finished?
No. NRS 858 is its prerequisite, Clarkson's progression policy holds students back from higher-level courses until prerequisites are complete, and the NP clinicals are taken singly and in sequence. If NRS 858 ends in an incomplete, NRS 859 waits until that is resolved.
Related pages
Last checked 2026-09-27
We check these pages against Clarkson College's own catalog, program pages and published nursing documents. Your course faculty and Graduate Nursing advisor have the final word.
Clarkson asks you to find your preceptor. We make the search the easy part.
Tell us your Clarkson track, your city and your next clinical course. We line up preceptors who fit the NRS course and Clarkson's rules, gather the details the site and preceptor agreement asks for, and flag early whether the site needs a new affiliation agreement.
- Preceptors matched to the course: all-ages primary care for FNP, acute care units for AGACNP, psychiatric providers for PMHNP
- License, experience and site details checked against Clarkson's rules before the agreement is filed
- Every clinical course planned in sequence, close to home in a state where Clarkson's graduate nursing meets requirements
Start your placement plan
Track, city and next clinical course is all we need to begin.