As nurses, we accompany people through their darkest and scariest moments. Mental health nurses assess, plan, coordinate and manage care and work closely with other health and social service professionals and members of the care team. Mental health caregivers may specialize in working with a particular group, such as youth or offenders. Becoming a registered psychiatric nurse, or NMR, is often just the beginning. There is a lot of concern about the reduction in NMR, with recent media suggesting that 2,000 mental health workers are leaving their jobs each month. You`ll build relationships with the people you support to monitor their mental health, watch for signs of withdrawal, know what potential triggers they encounter, and help them engage in meaningful activities. Even in psychiatric care, you have a lot more time to talk to people. Universal health care is more task-based, but in mental health care, we can sit back and have good conversations and give people hope when they feel the worst. It`s more about relationships and being able to build a relationship. You can also train as a psychiatric nurse in the armed forces. For more information, see: In nursing, mental health nurses can take a number of courses to advance their careers in mental health. Continuing academic or training activities support your motivation as a nurse and ensure that the care you provide is supported by evidence.
With the reduction in the number of hospital beds, inpatient psychiatric facilities now admit people who are in an acute stage of serious mental illness, with a high percentage of legal incarcerations under the Mental Health Act 1983. Listening is a skill, we can all sit down and have a conversation, but actively listening to another person requires patience, a non-judgmental attitude, and the ability to get out our own minds and thoughts. You will work as part of a team that includes general practitioners, psychologists, social workers, psychiatrists, occupational therapists, art therapists and health assistants. In Scotland, all newly qualified nurses are eligible to participate in the NHS Flying Start. This is a personal development program designed to build your confidence and support your learning during your first year of practice. The national mental health strategy, The Five Year Forward View, released in 2016, focuses on prevention and early intervention for mental health issues, and funding is now focused on community service. To become a psychiatric nurse, your personality and communication skills are crucial. You will be warm and engaging, and able to teach patients how to combat the social stigma of mental health issues that is as difficult to overcome as the condition itself. Thinking standing up and staying calm are also helpful qualities for a mental health nurse.
The skills you will use on a daily basis include: Knowing the people you work with will allow you to assess their ongoing mental health and adjust the feedback you offer them accordingly. Undergraduate degrees in mental health nursing are offered at most universities across the country with applications through UCAS. “For over 20 years, I have worked in the community with adults with chronic mental health issues, inpatients in rehabilitation with adults, seniors with dementia, and I have also supported adults with learning disabilities living in the community. No matter where I worked, no two days were the same and every day was an opportunity to strengthen relationships and help people live their best lives. I`ve had a great career and if you enjoy working with people, maybe it`s for you to be a mental health nurse. “Mental health nurses are typically based in hospitals or in the community because that`s where the majority of mental health care is provided. Wherever you work, you may need to work shifts to provide care around the clock. I studied at Middlesex University and now work in mental health in Camden and Islington. A nurse who works in the community can work more independently than those who work in a hospital setting and once she is eligible for a mental health nurse, she has the potential to be incredibly diverse. Nursing apprenticeships are offered by some employers and offer a more flexible path to becoming a nurse. You will work for an NHS employer as a nursing trainee and be released for part-time studies at a university. Training takes place in a variety of practice settings.
The final two years will be exclusively devoted to mental health and you will learn about theories of mental illness, practical assessment skills, pharmacology, physical health and treatment approaches. Find out how Jake became a psychiatric nurse at BBC Bitesize. Graduates of a relevant subject such as life, health, biological sciences or social sciences can qualify through a shortened two-year postgraduate course. The process of recognizing your first degree is called APEL (Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning). You can find out more about crash courses in nursing for UCAS graduates and on the NHS Health careers website. You should check directly with the institutions to find out if your program of study is acceptable for admission. Mental health nurses are qualified health professionals who work as part of a multidisciplinary team of psychiatrists, occupational therapists and other health professionals. Whether it`s anxiety or depression, bad mood and emotional difficulties, it is now generally accepted that mental illness is very common. As a mental health nurse, you plan and deliver treatment for patients with a variety of mental health issues. Can you give me some advice on how psychiatric nurses progress to become therapists? What degree/training do they have? read more Mental Health Nurses who work in secondary community services work with people with more complex or severe chronic mental health issues. You may be able to obtain Prior Experiential Learning (APEL) accreditation if you have hands-on learning or a degree in another health-related field, such as life and medical sciences, social work or psychology.
APEL may shorten your course to two years, but this is at the discretion of each institution, so it`s always best to check. For some people, mental health problems can be triggered by an event such as divorce, death, childbirth, drug abuse or changes in working conditions, while others are affected by long-term chronic illnesses that need to be treated throughout their lives. The role of a psychiatric nurse is to build effective relationships with patients who use mental health services as well as with their loved ones or caregivers, whether they are taking their medications correctly or giving advice on relevant therapies or social activities. They provide clinical treatments and care to a variety of patients, so they need to combine medical expertise with strong interpersonal skills. They talk to patients about their problems and evaluate them to find the best way to treat them. A big part of a mental health nurse`s job is to build trusting relationships with patients and meeting their physical and emotional needs. Every patient is different, so it`s about what`s good for the individual. The NMC says that good health is necessary to practice nursing, but that doesn`t mean you`re exempt if you have a disability or medical condition. You must also indicate any criminal convictions, charges or warnings. A criminal record may not be a barrier to training, but it would be the subject of a full and open discussion during an interview.
I have worked in several mental health facilities for 17 years and have been an NMR for 12 years. Once you graduate as a psychiatric nurse, there is a wide range of options. You might specialize in working with children and adolescents as primary psychiatrists; or women, or in a field such as transcultural psychiatry, which studies how mental disorders and their treatment may be influenced by cultural and ethnic factors. You may want to work or move into management, teaching, or clinical research.