Psychiatric nursing is unlike any other kind of nursing. While psych nurses aren’t there to treat or reverse depression or dementia, they can offer the understanding empathy only a nurse can offer to help patients begin healing. Mental illness is by far one of the most challenging disorders to treat. Thus, it’s easy to see why psychiatric nursing can bring some unique challenges to the job and some rewarding moments. If a psychiatric nursing career interests you, keep reading to learn everything you need to know about psych nurses.
First of all, there are two primary types of psychiatric nurses or career paths you can take. First, you can work as a psych registered nurse. You can also work in more advanced roles like a psychiatric nurse practitioner or psychiatric/mental health advanced practice registered nurse (APRN). Mental health nurses are essentially specialized nurses who focus on caring for those with mental illness’s psychological and physical well-being.
They also support the family members and friends of those with mental health conditions. Psych nurses may assess mental health needs and develop nursing plans for care.
National average salary: $74,651 per year with about $12,125 extra in overtime
Job outlook: 26% increase by 2022
Like with other medical professions, psychiatric nurses find themselves working in both inpatient and outpatient care. These can be hospitals or psychiatric facilities that offer inpatient treatment. Or outpatient care in the patient’s home or a local clinic. Psych nurses have a bit more independence in terms of where they can work. They can also work with a wider variety of patients on their own, making outpatient care a standard option for many.
Other work settings for psychiatric mental health nurses (PMHN) include rehabilitation centers, correctional facilities, mental health agencies, schools, colleges of nursing, and military clinics or hospitals.
Although psych nurses work with patients all over the place, they can work with almost every segment of the population. Patients in this unit can be children, adolescents, adults, and older people. They often work with people with substance use disorders and those with eating disorders, among other mental illnesses.
Unlike other traditional nurses, psych nurses don’t treat any conditions. Instead, they work with a larger group of health care professionals to develop and implement care plans. Psych nurses can work with anyone who has a mental or behavioral condition that’s negatively impacting their life.
Depending on the path someone chooses, their duties will vary. The psych nurse essentially develops a nursing diagnosis and a plan of care, implements the treatment plan, and evaluates its effectiveness. On the other hand, APRNs also offer primary care and treat individuals and families with psychiatric disorders, sometimes even offering psychotherapy.
Most responsibilities include:
A career as a psychiatric nurse can be gratifying and exciting. The path starts by earning either an associate’s degree in nursing or a bachelor of science in nursing. There, prospects need to pass the NCLEX-RN licensure examination to become a registered nurse (RN). After this, many try to spend some time building up nursing skills before moving to a psychiatric nursing path.
It’s possible to work in psychiatry without certification. However, there are some certifications and advanced practices that can help. Those who wish to continue their education can become an advanced training registered nurse (APRN) to earn a master’s or doctoral degree in psychiatric-mental health nursing.
Common certifications:
It takes a specific combination of skills to become successful as a psych nurse. Communication, empathy, and interpersonal skills are at the essence. However, setting healthy boundaries and excellent technical skills will also be beneficial. Psychiatric nurses are very hands-on with daily monitoring of their patients, requiring patience, empathy, and organization.
Most common skills for psych nurses include:
Psychiatric nurses have a unique career filled with ups and downs. If you’re interested in a psychiatric nursing career, these are the steps you need to get started. Also, due to psych nurses’ nature and their flexibility, mental health nurses are often highly coveted travel nurses who can move freely across the country. At Stability Healthcare, we place nurses in hospitals across the United States, helping them find their perfect roles. See our open jobs today!
Stability Healthcare has been amazing at helping me transition into travel nursing. I talked to many recruiters when looking into travel nursing and Chad in particular stood out. He was always so kind and quick to respond. Everyone I’ve had the pleasure of speaking to from Stability has been just as kind and it truly feels like they all care about you enjoying your assignment.
This is my 4th travel company I have worked with and by far my favorite! Everything is so simplified. I am honestly happy I found them. I plan on doing more contracts with them in the future. From their process to submitting yourself to assignments, to the ease of compliance, and the easiest time keeping system, I would definitely recommend to everyone. Samantha is very sweet and I can see they truly care about their nurses.
On top of the process. On boarding easy. Very supportive staff. They are they for you via, call , text or email. And it’s very easy transition .. they encourage you to ask questions and make themselves available from the moment your hiring process starts. To even checking on you on first day assignment to the following week.
My recruiter, and other staff I have had the pleasure of interacting with, are all so friendly and helpful. My recruiter is responsive, and even reached out while she was on vacation to check on me! I’ve worked with other agencies in the past, but Stability is next level when it comes to making your travel nursing experience as seamless as possible! Special shout out to Lindsay (best recruiter ever) and Tracy. Amazing people to work with.
Stability Healthcare has been such a seamless and easy transition for me into first time travel nursing. I have been incredibly impressed by the professionalism, ease of communication, ability to have all requirements for onboarding fulfilled in a timely manner, and just overall outstanding service. Lindsay Hernandez is my particular recruiter and she has been a pleasure to work with, as well as all the team members at Stability. I’m looking forward to staying with them for my next assignment. I highly recommend them to my nursing friends, and anyone looking to travel nurse!