Psychiatric and Mental Health Nurse

<h2 id="section---IsPsychiatricAndMentalHealthNursingForMe">Is Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing for Me?</h2> <h3 id="section---CareerSummary">Career Summary</h3> <p>Psychiatric and <a href="https://learn.org/articles/What_Does_a_Mental_Health_Nurse_Do.html">mental health nurses</a> assess patients' needs and create a nursing plan. Clinical nurse specialists and <a href="https://learn.org/articles/What_Are_the_Responsibilities_of_a_Psychiatric_Nurse_Practitioner.html">nurse practitioners</a> may also help diagnose mental health disorders and treat people who have psychiatric disorders. </p> <p>According to the American Psychiatric Nurses Association (APNA), you must <a href="https://learn.org/articles/How_Do_I_Become_a_Registered_Nurse.html">be a registered nurse (RN)</a> to work in psychiatric and mental health, but advanced practice nursing positions can also be obtained with additional education (<i>www.apna.org</i>). Psychiatric and mental health nurses work in hospitals, nursing care facilities, community health care programs and mental health agencies. </p> <h3 id="section---NecessarySkills">Necessary Skills</h3> <p>According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the best <a href="https://learn.org/articles/Registered_Nurse_RN_Career_Definition_Employment_Outlook_and_Educational_Requirements.html">nurses</a> are caring, sympathetic and emotionally stable (<i>www.bls.gov</i>). You should also be responsible and detail-oriented. You should be in good physical condition since you'll be bending, walking, stretching and standing throughout the day. </p> <h3 id="section---SalariesAndJobOutlook">Salaries and Job Outlook</h3> <p>The BLS reported that more than 2.7 million people worked as RNs and over 151,000 were employed as advanced practice nurses in 2012. The BLS projected that the employment of registered nurses would increase by 19% between 2012 and 2022. Job opportunities for advanced practice nurses should grow by 31% during that same period of time. </p> <p>The APNA adds that the psychiatric and mental health nurse specialty has a shortage of nurses. As of May 2012, the median annual salary for RNs was $65,470, according to the BLS. According to March 2014 figures from <i>PayScale.com</i>, most <a href="https://learn.org/articles/How_Much_Do_Mental_Health_Nurses_Earn.html">psychiatric nurses</a> at the RN level earned an annual salary between $43,430 and $81,063. Most psychiatric nurse practitioners received annual pay between $66,234 and $122,194 as of 2014. </p> <h2 id="section---HowDoIBecomeAPsychiatricAndMentalHealthNurse">How Do I Become a Psychiatric and Mental Health Nurse?</h2> <h3 id="section---UndergraduateEducation">Undergraduate Education</h3> <p>To become a psychiatric and mental health nurse, you must be a registered nurse. This requires earning at least an <a href="https://learn.org/articles/Registered_Nurse_Associates_Degree.html">associate's degree</a> and passing a national licensing exam. However, to earn <a href="https://learn.org/articles/Mental_Health_Nursing_Certification_Frequently_Asked_Questions.html">certification in mental health nursing</a> from the American Nurses Credentialing Center, you must have at least two years of nursing experience, complete at least 2,000 hours of psychiatric mental health nursing in three years and earn at least 30 continuing education credits in psychiatric and mental health nursing (<i>www.nursecredentialing.org</i>). </p> <h3 id="section---GraduatePrograms">Graduate Programs</h3> <p>To earn credits in psychiatric and mental health nursing, you can pursue an accelerated combination bachelor's and master's degree program. However, it's more common to pursue a <a href="https://learn.org/articles/Masters_Degrees_in_Psychiatric_Nursing_Program_FAQs.html">master's degree program in advance practice</a> psychiatric and mental health nursing, <a href="https://learn.org/articles/What_Can_I_Do_with_an_Online_Psychiatric_Nurse_Practitioner_Degree.html">psychiatric and mental health nurse practitioner</a> or nursing with a specialization in psychiatric and mental health nursing. A master's degree can lead to a career as a certified psychiatric and mental health nurse or an advanced practice nurse. Doctoral degree programs are also available and can prepare you for a career as a clinical nurse specialist or a nurse practitioner in psychiatric and mental health. </p> <h3 id="section---TopicsOfStudy">Topics of Study</h3> <p>Through a master's degree program in <a href="https://learn.org/articles/Psychiatric_Mental_Health_Nurse_Practitioners_Online_Masters_Degree_Programs.html">psychiatric and mental health nursing</a>, you may explore mental disorders, diagnosis techniques and therapeutic methods. In other classes, you may learn how to assess someone's mental health condition and create treatment plans. At the doctoral degree level, you may study theories of family health, ways to promote mental health, methods for revising healthcare to meet modern needs and alternative medical treatments for psychiatric disorders. For all graduate degree programs in nursing, you'll conduct research and complete clinical practicums.</p>