Psychiatric Nurse Wellness Psycho Social Substance Abuse Intervention Mental Health
Career guide: Training and practice for psychiatric nurses
To some degree, all nurses are concerned with the mental health of their patients. Psychiatric nurses take this interest one step further and choose to specialize in psychiatric-mental health, or its sub-specialties, such as Child-Adolescent Mental health, Geriatric Psychiatry, Forensics, or Sustance Abuse.
Entry level is the same for all nurses. Psychiatric nurses first obtain an associate's degree, diploma or bachelor's degree and successfully complete a licensing examination. Many go on to obtain a few year's of hospital experience before specializing. At that point, the nurse can choose between seeking certification as a Clinical Nurse Specialist, or further education toward a Master's or doctoral degree, or Advanced Nurse Practitioner in psychiatric-mental health nursing. With more advanced degrees, the psychiatric nurse can work in primary care, or go into research or education.
The psychiatric nurse works with patients, and sometimes, families or caregivers to assess mental health needs, develop a nursing diagnosis, implement a care plan and evaluate the plan. The Advanced Nurse Practitioner adds the functions of diagnosing, counseling and prescribing medications. The ARNP's work may overlap the role of a psychologist, social worker or psychiatrist.
Psychiatric nurses work in primary nursing care settings such as acute hospitals, long-term rehab facilities, outpatient clinics, homecare agencies, community settings, and in private practice. They care for people of all ages with diagnoses such as schizophrenia, eating disorders, substance abuse, bipolar disorder, psychosis, depression, dementia, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Building a therapeutic relationship, dealing with challenging behavior, and encouraging the patient to
work collaboratively on their recovery provide a nursing model for psychiatric nursing. The psychiatric nurse often empowers the patient's efforts to engage inner resources in addition to other therapies.
The psychiatric nurse focuses on behavioral therapy as well as medication and conventional therapies, which include medications, electroconvulsive therapy, nutrition, psychosocial therapy, meditation or prayer. Nurses provide basic nursing care as needed, or encourage the patient to participate in his own care, administers and monitors treatment regimens, teaches patients about health and mental health. The nurse must also be prepared for emergencies, crisis intervention, counseling and work as a case manager.
Just as in every clincial setting for nurses, shortages of nurses are expected in the future. The psychiatric nurse enjoys a varied practice with unique challenges, but as is the case with all nurses, the psychiatric nurse offers a holistic approach to patients, focusing on the physical as well as mental, emotional, psychological and social aspects of illness and wellness.
