Graduates of Penn Nursing Psychiatric-Mental Health (PMH) advanced practice nursing programs serve a variety of populations across an array of settings, from private practice, clinics and community mental health centers to primary care settings, prisons, and residential care, to name a few. Penn Nursing PMH Nurse Practitioners and Clinical Nurse Specialists are in high demand, as they graduate with a deep knowledge base in both neuroscience and psychotherapeutic skills. Their goal as mental health practitioners is to optimize the ability of an individual and family to function in today’s complex society. 

Here are just a few examples of the way Penn Nursing PMH advanced practice nurses are influencing this dynamic field.

For Matthew D. McHugh, Penn has been both springboard and landing platform. Matthew came to Penn to pursue both the Family Nurse Practitioner (NP) and Psychiatric-Mental Health (PMH) Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) programs. His clinical work focused on patients with eating disorders. “Penn allowed me to focus on that specialty area, and I completed my clinical practicum at an eating disorder treatment center where I later worked,” he explains. “I was able to complete both an NP and CNS and go on for my PhD to study interventions affecting this population.”

After finishing his Nursing PhD at Penn, Dr. McHugh continued this thread of examining policies and programs as a Fulbright Scholar with the World Health Organization working on the evaluation of a family health nursing program implemented in 13 countries. On his return, Dr. McHugh received his Master’s in Public Health from Harvard and JD from Northeastern University School of Law focusing on public health law and policy evaluation.

Dr. McHugh returned to Penn, first as a post-doc at the Center for Health Outcomes and Policy Research and now, an assistant professor at Penn Nursing. Dr. McHugh has integrated his background in nursing, public health, and law to focus on a program of research examining outcomes of public health law and policy and their impact on vulnerable populations.

Matthew looks back fondly at his experience as a Penn Nursing student. “Penn worked with me to find the unique clinical experiences that would meet the educational requirements but fit with the specific career trajectory I was interested in having. That was very important to me,” he says. “I was able to get mentorship for transitioning from a master’s program through to a doctoral program, and the professors and advisors made that transition easy.”

Matthew says the faculty made all the difference. “I couldn’t have asked for a better mentor and greater advisor in all things personal and professional,” he says. “The class sizes were very small, and you were definitely on a first-name basis with all of the faculty. It was easy to develop very close relationships throughout the program, not just during the time you had that class, but outside of class as well. You felt they had a concern about your well being and professional trajectory through the program and beyond.”

Matthew McHugh, NP, CNS, MPH, PhD, JD, Assistant Professor, Penn School of Nursing