PMHNP Programs in Florida
Florida has 8 verified, in-state PMHNP programs and one of the largest nurse practitioner workforces in the country. It is also the rare restricted-practice state with a published exit ramp: register as an Autonomous APRN and the physician-protocol requirement falls away. Here are the verified programs, what autonomous registration actually takes, and what the job pays.
The short version
Florida has 8 verified, in-state PMHNP programs — the largest verified in-state field of any Southern state in our dataset. The full list below is generated from the canonical dataset, so it cannot drift.
Florida is classified a restricted-practice state, but uniquely among restricted states it publishes a route out: Autonomous APRN registration, which requires at least 3,000 clinical hours under physician supervision within the past five years.
That 3,000-hour threshold is worth planning for from day one. It is roughly three years of full-time practice, and the hours only count if they were supervised — so your first post-graduation job choice directly determines when you become eligible.
The statewide NP wage is $129,510 (BLS OEWS, May 2025), about $2,800 below the $132,300 national median, across a workforce of 21,790 nurse practitioners.
Many accredited online programs also enroll Florida residents — see our online PMHNP ranking for the national comparison.
Florida is an unusual case among restricted-practice states. On paper it sits in the most regulated of the AANP's three categories, which normally means a career-long physician relationship. In practice, Florida law creates a second tier — the Autonomous APRN — and nurse practitioners who qualify for it practice without the protocol requirement that defines restricted practice everywhere else.
That makes the Florida decision less about "can I practice independently" and more about "how quickly can I get there". The answer is documented: at least 3,000 clinical hours under physician supervision within the past five years, per the Florida Board of Nursing. For a PMHNP that means choosing a first job with supervision you can document, not just the highest starting salary.
The in-state program field is genuinely deep — 8 verified programs, the largest of any state we cover in the South. Below are the verified programs with their sourced details, the licensure path, and Florida-specific pay.
The 8 verified psychiatric nurse practitioner (PMHNP) programs based in Florida
Florida International University Nicole Wertheim College of Nursing and Health Sciences
Miami, FL
Nova Southeastern University Ron and Kathy Assaf College of Nursing
Fort Lauderdale, FL
University of North Florida
Jacksonville, FL
University of Miami
Coral Gables, FL
Jacksonville University Keigwin School of Nursing
Jacksonville, FL
Palm Beach Atlantic University School of Nursing
West Palm Beach, FL
St. Thomas University
Miami Gardens, FL
University of Florida
Gainesville, FL
Accredited online psychiatric nurse practitioner (PMHNP) programs Florida residents can do
Most PMHNP study is online. These verified, accredited programs enroll students from most states and let you complete the supervised clinical hours near you. Online programs set their own state authorization, so confirm each one admits Florida residents before you apply.
California State University, Fresno
CCNE-accredited · post-master's certificate · 540 clinical hrs
Program pageDrexel University College of Nursing and Health Professions
CCNE-accredited · post-master's certificate · 640 clinical hrs
Program pageFairleigh Dickinson University Henry P. Becton School of Nursing and Allied Health
ACEN-accredited · MSN · 750 clinical hrs
Program pageGeorgia Southern University School of Nursing
CCNE-accredited · BSN-to-DNP · 630 clinical hrs
Program pageGeorgia State University Byrdine F. Lewis College of Nursing and Health Professions
CCNE-accredited · MSN · 500 clinical hrs
Program pageHerzing University
CCNE-accredited · MSN / post-master's certificate · 540 clinical hrs
Program pageJohns Hopkins University School of Nursing
CCNE-accredited · post-master's certificate · 500 clinical hrs
Program pageLa Salle University School of Nursing and Health Sciences
CCNE-accredited · MSN · 692 clinical hrs
Program pageLewis University College of Nursing and Health Sciences
CCNE-accredited · MSN · 540 clinical hrs
Program pageNorthern Kentucky University School of Nursing
CCNE-accredited · MSN · 750 clinical hrs
Program pageRadford University School of Nursing
CCNE-accredited · post-master's certificate · 540 clinical hrs
Program pageRocky Mountain University of Health Professions
CCNE-accredited · post-master's certificate · 540 clinical hrs
Program pageSimmons University
CCNE-accredited · MSN / post-master's certificate · 756 clinical hrs
Program pageUniversity of Cincinnati College of Nursing
CCNE-accredited · post-master's certificate
Program pageUniversity of South Alabama College of Nursing
CCNE-accredited · MSN / post-master's certificate · 600 clinical hrs
Program pageConfirm current state authorization with each program. For the full comparison of these programs, see our online PMHNP ranking.
How to become a PMHNP in Florida
The path to becoming a psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner in Florida is the same graduate-nursing route used nationwide, with one local variable: your APRN license and prescriptive authority come from the Florida Board of Nursing. Here are the five steps.
- 01
Earn a BSN and an RN license
Most PMHNP programs admit Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) graduates who hold an active RN license. If you start with an associate degree or a non-nursing bachelor's, bridge programs exist. You'll practice on a Florida RN license while you complete graduate school.
- 02
Enroll in an accredited PMHNP program
Choose an MSN or a BSN-to-DNP with a PMHNP focus. The degree must hold CCNE or ACEN accreditation, or it won't qualify you for the certification exam. Florida has 8 verified in-state programs (listed above), and 46 accredited online programs also enroll Florida residents.
- 03
Complete a minimum of 500 supervised clinical hours
The ANCC requires at least 500 faculty-supervised clinical hours, and many programs require 600 to 750. Securing local clinical placements is the biggest practical hurdle, so confirm whether a program arranges your preceptors before you enroll.
- 04
Pass the ANCC PMHNP-BC certification exam
The ANCC PMHNP-BC first-time pass rate was 83% in 2024 and 82% in 2025. Either the ANCC exam or the newer AANPCB PMHNP exam qualifies you for state licensure; ANCC's PMHNP-BC is the one most employers list by name.
- 05
Get Florida APRN licensure and DEA registration
The Florida Board of Nursing issues your APRN license and prescriptive authority once you're certified, and a federal DEA registration lets you prescribe controlled substances. Practice authority varies by state, so confirm current Florida requirements with the board before you enroll.
For the full national pathway, including itemized cost, timeline, and program selection advice, see our complete guide on how to become a PMHNP.
Florida NP licensure and the autonomous APRN route
Standard APRN licensure in Florida runs through the Florida Board of Nursing: an active Florida RN license, a graduate PMHNP degree from a CCNE- or ACEN-accredited program, and national PMHNP-BC certification. At that point you practice under a physician protocol, which is what places Florida in the restricted category.
The second step is what makes Florida different. Registering as an Autonomous APRN removes the protocol requirement, and eligibility turns on a specific, countable threshold: at least 3,000 clinical hours practicing under the supervision of a physician within the past five years. It is not a waiver you can apply for on graduation — it is earned time, which is why it belongs in your planning before you accept a first offer rather than after.
One caveat worth stating plainly: autonomous registration and the scope it confers are defined by Florida statute and can change. Confirm the current requirements with the Board before making a career decision on them.
What the state requires
- Active Florida RN license (or a multistate compact license)
- Graduate PMHNP degree from a CCNE- or ACEN-accredited program
- National PMHNP-BC certification (ANCC)
- APRN licensure from the Florida Board of Nursing
- A physician protocol for standard (non-autonomous) APRN practice
- For Autonomous APRN registration: 3,000+ supervised clinical hours within the past 5 years
- DEA registration to prescribe controlled substances
State board: Florida Board of Nursing
PMHNP pay in Florida
Florida's statewide NP wage is $129,510 per BLS OEWS (May 2025), with a mean of $130,410 across 21,790 nurse practitioners. That median sits about $2,800 below the $132,300 national NP median.
The distribution is worth reading rather than the midpoint alone. Florida's 10th percentile of $101,920 is above the national 10th percentile, and its 90th percentile reaches $163,600 — so the floor is comparatively solid while the ceiling trails the national $174,420. The quartiles run $112,380 to $137,610.
Autonomous practice is the plausible lever on that ceiling. In states where NPs can own and run a practice, the top decile pulls away; Florida's autonomous route is the mechanism that lets an experienced psychiatric NP pursue the same model. BLS does not break out entry-level or experienced tiers for Florida, and it does not publish a separate psychiatric-mental health NP wage, so we show the percentiles rather than invent tiers. See our PMHNP salary guide for pay by setting and practice model.
The Florida PMHNP job market
Florida's 21,790 nurse practitioners make it one of the largest NP workforces in the country, driven by a big, fast-growing and notably older population — a demographic profile that generates sustained demand for psychiatric care, geriatric mental health and dementia-related services in particular. The BLS projects nurse practitioner employment to grow about 40% from 2024 to 2034 nationally; a Florida-specific projection is not separately verified here. Demand concentrates in the Miami-Fort Lauderdale, Tampa Bay, Orlando and Jacksonville metros, with rural inland counties persistently underserved.
- Community mental health centers and FQHCs in Florida often qualify for the federal NHSC Loan Repayment Program.
Choosing a PMHNP program from Florida
With 8 verified in-state programs plus the national online field, the Florida shortlist is wide. A few factors matter more than reputation:
- Decide your degree level first: MSN, BSN-to-DNP, or a post-master's certificate. Our MSN PMHNP ranking and post-master's certificate ranking compare those routes head to head.
- Ask who arranges your clinical placement. School-arranged placement is a significant advantage; student-arranged means you find your own Florida preceptor, which is the usual cause of an unplanned extra semester.
- Think about the 3,000-hour autonomous threshold before you graduate — a first role with documented physician supervision moves you toward autonomous registration; one without it does not.
- Prefer programs that place you in settings with documented physician supervision, since those are the hours that later count toward autonomous registration.
- Public in-state programs generally undercut private and out-of-state options; each program card below shows its verified rate where the school publishes one.
- If you are also weighing the national online field, see our online PMHNP ranking.
Keep researching
Best Online PMHNP Programs
The full national field of accredited online options.
MSN PMHNP Programs
Master's-level PMHNP options compared.
PMHNP Programs by State
Browse every state's verified programs.
How to Become a PMHNP
The pathway, certification, and clinical-hour requirement.
PMHNP Salary Guide
What psychiatric NPs earn by state, experience, and setting.
Best PMHNP Programs
The flagship ranking across every format.
Questions, answered
How many PMHNP programs are in Florida?+
Can nurse practitioners practice independently in Florida?+
What is the Florida autonomous APRN requirement?+
How much do PMHNPs make in Florida?+
Can I do a PMHNP online in Florida?+
Program details and figures trace to primary sources; gaps are labeled, not estimated.
- [1] U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS: Nurse Practitioners (29-1171), national and state wages (May 2025)
- [2] U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook: Nurse Practitioners
- [3] AANP, State Practice Environment (Florida: restricted practice)
- [4] Florida Board of Nursing — Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (autonomous practice registration)