Become a Psychiatric Nurse
Psychiatric nurses, also called psychiatric-mental health nurses, help patients who are mentally ill. Patients suffering from conditions like schizophrenia or psychosis, or who are suffering from mental distress caused by traumatic events such as the death of a spouse or a cancer diagnosis, often find themselves under the care of a psychiatric nurse. Psychiatric nurses may work in hospitals or in the community, determining their patients' mental health status and helping meet those needs. To become a psychiatric nurse, you must first earn a nursing degree.
Contents
Steps
Becoming a Registered Nurse
- Choose a nursing program to complete. You can choose an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) program or a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program. The ADN is a two-year program, where the BSN is a four-year program.
- You will need a high school diploma or GED to enroll in an ADN or BSN program.
- Second baccalaureate and entry-level master's of science in nursing programs are available for people who already have bachelor's degrees in fields other than nursing.
- BSN graduates may be preferred by employers over other degree types.
- Consider earning a master's degree in psychiatric-mental health nursing. The degree will enable you to diagnose and treat some mental health problems yourself. In some states you can also prescribe medication.
- Complete the nursing program you have chosen. Programs accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) or Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) ensure a path to RN licensure. Complete all requirements to graduate from the program you have chosen with your degree.
- Meet with your advisor to make sure you are completing the program requirements.
- Get licensed as an RN. To get licensed as an RN, you must pass the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-RN). This examination is given by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing. The license you receive after passing the exam must be periodically renewed, so you will have to take some continuing education courses.
- Requirements for licensure vary by state, so check with yours to see what requirements you may have to meet.
Gaining the Necessary Experience
- Work in the mental health field as an RN. Working in the psychiatric-mental health field as an RN translates to clinical practice, of which you will need 2000 hours should you desire to get certified as a psychiatric-mental health nurse. Look for jobs in this field to secure a position and get the experience you need. You can ask for a psychiatric rotation at a hospital if that's where you work, volunteer in a community program, or work as a psychiatric aide.
- Many employers will provide tuition reimbursement or assistance if you pursue an ADN, BSN, MSN, or DNP. Check with your employer to find out if this is something they offer.
- Get board-certified as a psychiatric-mental health nurse. Certification is not required to work in the psychiatric-mental health field, but it can be useful for finding a job and could mean higher salaries. You'll need an RN license, two years' experience working as an RN, 2000 hours of clinical practice in the psychiatric-mental health field within three years, and 30 hours of continuing education in the psychiatric-mental health field within three years.
- Certification is administered by American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC).
- Maintain your certification. Board-certified psychiatric-mental health nurses must be recertified every five years. The American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) requires professional development plus either 1000 hours of practice as a psychiatric-mental health nurse or passage of the certification exam.
- Professional development includes continuing education, academic credits, presentations or publication/research, professional service, or teaching hours (preceptorship).
Tips
- There are a number of incentives for becoming a nurse; among them, having your federal student loans forgiven up to 100%. Check with Federal Student Aid for specifics.
Warnings
- Psychiatric nurses may be required to work nights, weekends and holidays, especially if they work in a hospital.
- Psychiatric nurses are required to take continuing education courses throughout their careers.
