Mental health nursing is a growing field and has many opportunities for nurses. The stigma of seeking medical attention for mental health disorders is lowering, so there is more of a demand for mental health professionals than ever before. Mental health nursing can be personally fulfilling as well as financially rewarding. Nurses get to see patients doing better as a direct result of their care, which can lead to increased job satisfaction.
The field of mental health nursing involves caring for patients of any age suffering from mental illnesses such as bipolar disorder, anxiety disorder, major depression, schizophrenia and dementia. Mental health nurses don’t just give pills; they have to assist patients with carrying on normal daily activities such as bathing, recreational activities, listening to patients’ concerns, eating and spiritual care. Mental health nurses are just as interested in eliminating suffering as nurses in other health fields. They also act as patient advocates; acting as mediators between patients, physicians and families. If you work in this nursing career, you may even counsel patients by phone or in person.
Mental Health Nursing Roles
There are two levels of advanced practice for mental health nursing: Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs) or Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioners (PMHNPs).
- Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs) do intake assessments on clients, develop a plan of care, care for patients and make sure all the patients’ needs are met. They may meet with the patient and family and assist with communication between all parties and the physician. They meet daily one on one with the patient for counseling sessions and run group therapy sessions. This level of care is rewarding because you have the opportunity to work closely with the patients and their families.
- Psychiatric mental health nurse practitioners are able to make a definite change for the better in their patients. They also have more responsibilities and their job is very interesting. According to Patricia D. Soderlund, MSN, about half of mental health patients never follow their plans for bettering their mental health. PMHNPs work one on one with patients and can diagnose and order any necessary treatment for this patient, including prescribing psychiatric medications. They are also very involved in the patients follow up care.
Although a PMHNP is concerned about bettering a patient's mental health, they also have to work to improve the patient's physical health. Mind and body each have a profound impact on each other. A PMHNP also needs an extensive background in substance abuse counseling because many mental health patients—such as those with bipolar disorder—try to self-medicate with drugs or alcohol to alleviate their symptoms.
Training and Certification
In order to work in the mental health field as a nurse you must first receive an Associate of Science degree or Bachelor of Science degree and become a Registered Nurse (RN). Then you will need to receive a master’s degree, which will make you eligible for either an APRN or a PMHNP. There is a certification that can increase pay; this is the Certified Nurse Specialist in Psychiatric Mental Health (CNS-PMH). An RN with experience in mental health nursing can qualify to sit for this certification exam. Mental health nurses need to take periodic exams and post-graduate classes for continuing education units, depending on the regulations of the particular state. Some of these courses must be taken in person, while others can be completed through one of the many available online mental health nurse practitioner programs. As demand increases for qualified PMHNPs, the number of accredited online classes and degree programs for this field also increases. There are even some great online nursing programs to help you get your start in mental health nursing.
Wages and Growth Opportunities
According to the American Psychiatric Nurses Association, entry-level mental health nurses make an average salary of $40,000 per year. APRNs start at $60,000 per year and can earn up to six figures. PMHNPs make around $75,000 to $80,000 per year and up. People thinking about becoming PMHNPs, should know that they can receive nearly as many titles as doctors.
There are many specialist areas where a future PMHNP can focus her studies (such as family health mental nurse practitioner programs), but all of these programs feature training that can shift over into any area of nursing, like emergency services or pediatrics. You will discover that most online nursing programs which offer mental health nurse training also offer you a lot of choices for cross-training in different disciplines as well. There are valuable lessons that can add a new dimension to the nursing work. Anyone with a terrible physical illness will be at risk of developing a deep depression which can hamper any medication or therapy. A mental health nurse will be better able to deal with these patients’ special needs than a "standard" nurse.
Mental health nursing is a field that requires compassion, empathy and understanding. Patients with mental illness are “sick, but don’t look sick.” Mental health patients have often been rejected by families and even other medical providers. The mental health nurse is usually the first to see positive outcomes in patients with mental illness and this is what makes a mental health nursing career very satisfying.