Psychiatric Nursing

Posted by Rinda on 10/05/2009

Is Psychiatric Nursing For You?

Executive Summary About Psychiatric Nursing by Don Tan; Tony Jacowski

Psychiatric nursing is ideal to help reorganize relationships and nursing responses. With the shortage of nurses in any specialization of nursing, any person who wants to become a nurse is greatly encouraged, especially in psychiatric nursing.

Levels Of Education In Psychiatric Nursing

Just like in any other profession, to become a registered nurse, you must take a nursing program offered in many nursing schools. To help you finally decide if psychiatric nursing is really your calling, it helps if you do some volunteering works in any institutions where you will have a chance to encounter patients with psychiatric condition. If you still feel that this is what you really want to do, then you should possess skills, such as good communication and relationships skills, and an extensive foundation in the basic and behavioral science to become a psychiatric nurse. Also, if you want to have a strong foundation in psychiatric nursing, might as well obtain a Master’s Degree in this specialization, just like what most people interested in psychiatric nursing do.

Clinical practice of psychiatric nursing takes place at two levels.

* Basic: At this level, registered nurses work with families, individuals, communities and groups. They diagnose the mental ability and define the nursing plan.
* Advanced: At the advanced level, Advanced Practice Registered Nurses or APRN, psychiatric nursing requires nurses to possess Masters Degrees in Psychiatric Nursing. They take the role of Nurse Practitioner or Clinical Nurse Specialist. There are a number of programs available to pursue a career in psychiatric nursing. A two-year program for an associate degree in nursing, a hospital based three-year diploma in nursing and a university four-year bachelors degree in psychiatric nursing are just some of the available options. All graduates are eligible for the registered nurse license.
The job of APRNs in psychiatric-mental health nursing includes the duties of basic level nurse, diagnose and treat individuals or families with psychiatric conditions. Also, they act as psychotherapists, educators, consultants, advanced case managers, and administrators.

A degree in advanced practice registered nursing makes a person eligible to specialize in Forensics or Substance Abuse, Gero-psychiatric Nursing and Child-Adolescent Mental Health Nursing. Many debates have been sparked over the relationship between the psychiatric patient and nurse.

Salary
Psychiatric mental health nurses usually earn $35,000 to $40,000 per year. Advanced practice registered nurses earn $60,000 and above. Nurse executives earn $100,000 and above.

Future of Psychiatric Nursing

The demand for psychiatric nurses is expected to rise in the coming years.
Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing: Concepts of Care in Evidence-Based Practice
Foundations of Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing: A Clinical Approach, Fifth Edition (Foundations of Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing)

Comments

3 Responses to “Psychiatric Nursing”