Master’s Degree on Psychiatric Nursing (with Thesis)

General Information

The Psychiatric Nursing is one of the specialty fields defined in the Nursing Regulation. The Psychiatric Nursing is a discipline that implements the specialized information to improve and maintain community’s mental health and rehabilitate the risk groups resulting from mental disorders. American Nurses Association (ANA) defines Psychiatric Nursing as “a mental health professional that provides services by the use of purposeful use of being as art and scientifically use of psychosocial and neurobiological theories, research findings and different roles of nursing”. Lokman Hekim University, Psychiatric Nursing Master’s Degree Program with Thesis has been developed by the resolution of Council of Higher Education on 31.03.2021. The course language is Turkish, however, sources in foreign language (English) are also used during the study period. This Program is carried out by the academic members specialized in Psychiatric Nursing. In average, 10 students are accepted to program every year.

Acquired Degree

Master’s Degree on Psychiatric Nursing

Acceptance and Enrolment Conditions

Student’s application for, acceptance and final enrolment to Psychiatric Nursing Master’s Degree Program with Thesis is carried out in accordance with Postgraduate Education Instruction of Institute of Medical Sciences, Lokman Hekim University. Furthermore, specific conditions required from the applied students, place and date of entrance exam are determined with recommendation of Department and Institute’s Management Board’s resolution prior to each application period; it is announced prior to applications. Students graduated from university faculties delivering 4-year education such as Nursing Faculty, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Nursing Department, Nursing School and Nursing Department of Health School and other faculty graduates who have a bachelor’s degree as deemed appropriate by the recommendation of Department Academic Board and by the Faculty Board may apply to Psychiatric Nursing Master’s Degree Program with Thesis. Turkish or foreign students who have completed an undergraduate program in foreign countries must have a certificate of equivalence or certificate of recognition issued by the Council of Higher Education (YÖK). The score for ALES (SAY/EA) must not be less than 55 for the applications to program as determined by the Institute Board. The students who meet the application conditions must take the scientific assessment exam (written exam and/or interview). Calculation of general final grade is based on the ALES score, grade point average of undergraduate graduation and the result of scientific assessment exam. The students will be entitled to final enrolment within the specified quota on the basis of general final grade ranking.

Recognition of Previous Studies

To have a bachelor’s degree on nursing

Qualification Conditions and Rules

To be graduated from the Psychiatric Nursing Master’s Degree Program with Thesis, the students are required to complete minimum 21 credits and 120 ECTS (minimum seven courses, seminar course and thesis study). Seminar course and thesis study do not require any credits and are considered pass/failure. Even if the student has courses with credit transfer, they must take minimum half of the total credit required by their program from their own program. If the counselor deems appropriate and necessary, they may chose courses from other programs. Postgraduate Education and Exam Regulation of Lokman Hekim University shall apply to assessment of student course success.

Objectives of Program

Psychiatric Nursing Master’s Degree Program is intended to educate specialist nurses who are able to perform nursing care required by their own field with higher knowledge and skill, monitor current scientific developments for improving the care they provide, use critical thinking and problem solving skills in nursing practices, and be a leader for professional nursing in mental health field. In line with this objective, students who are graduated from this program are expected to have research, critical and analytical thinking, problem solving, independent decision-making, following current scientific information and technologies, taking responsibilities and accountability, being a leader to provide guidance to their colleagues, and basic qualifications such as professional values and ethical sensitivity.

Program Qualifications (Acquirements)

1. They have the current theoretical and practical knowledge in the psychiatric nursing at specialty level.
2. They are able to access the scientific and current information specific to psychiatric nursing, and assess the accuracy, validity and reliability of information in a critical approach.
3. They provide nursing care to individuals, families and communities using the theoretical, evidence-based and practical knowledge in the psychiatric nursing in a holistic understanding and systematic approach, assess and record the effectiveness of care they provide.
4. They effectively use the information and care technologies in the domains of psychiatric nursing (education, application, research and management).
5. They respect the human rights and human honour in the domains of psychiatric nursing and act in accordance with legislation, professional values and ethical principles.
6. They work in cooperation with health team and other disciplines using the knowledge, skills and professional responsibility specific to psychiatric nursing.
7. They fulfil the responsibility to produce qualified scientific information specific to psychiatric nursing either independently or through teamwork; plan, implement and report descriptive and experimental research.
8. They effectively use the statistical software for the scientific research they conduct, and chose, calculate and interpret the statistical methods correctly.
9. They present in a scientific meeting and /or publish on a journal their scientific study results on the psychiatric nursing and public health.
10. They take responsibility in activities that contribute to improvement of healthcare services and nursing profession, and provide guidance to innovations and changes.
11. They use minimum one foreign language to access the scientific information and establish effective verbal and written communication.
12. They adopt the lifelong learning approach for their personal, professional and academic development.
13. They use the critical thinking skill and scientific problem solving approach in the personal and professional domains.
14. They effectively use the interpersonal communication skills in the professional domains.
15. They provide consultancy to their colleagues on the patient care and self-care.
16. They contribute to interdisciplinary teamwork and become a leader in any environment requiring solving the problems.

Employment Opportunities

Students who successfully complete the Psychiatric Nursing Master’s Degree Program may work in Ministry of Health, University and Private Hospitals as a specialist nurse. They also have the chance to work in the academic staff of nursing department of Faculty of Medical Sciences, nursing faculties, and health schools.

Transfer to Upper Programs

Students graduated from the Psychiatric Nursing Master’s Degree Program with Thesis may apply to doctorate programs if they meet the other required conditions.

Assessment and Evaluation

The students receive a course final grade for each course at the end of the half-term. The course final grade is calculated by assessment of success achieved by the student during the half-term (mid-term exams, assignments, applied studies, projects, laboratory and similar activities) and general exam together. The program courses must be successfully completed in maximum two years with general point average of minimum 2.50.

Graduation Conditions

To be graduated from the Psychiatric Nursing Master’s Degree Program with Thesis, they are required to complete all the courses in the program successfully, have minimum 120 ECTS credits, and have a grade point average of minimum 2.50 out of 4.00. A student in the master’s degree program with thesis is required to prepare a thesis on their field, write the thesis results in accordance with the institute’s rules for writing a thesis, and verbally defend their thesis before the jury after completion of courses. The student’s graduation date is the date of thesis exam when the master’s degree thesis is accepted.

Study Type

Study type is full-time. When necessary, courses and exams may be taken after the end of working hours during the week and/or on the Saturday and Sunday.

Program Supervisor and Contact Details

Prof Dr Fatma ÖZ Head of Nursing Department Dean of Faculty of Medical Sciences E-mail: fatma.oz@lokmanhekim.edu.tr Phone: 444 8 548,   Extension: 6120