What is a mental health nurse?
Mental health problems begin with stressful life events like financial problems, the death of a loved one, divorce, substance abuse, neurodivergence, or just one’s upbringing. Multiple genes can interact to cause mental illness as well. Some people have chronic long-term illnesses that need lifelong care.
As a mental health nurse, you develop strong bonds with patients who depend on mental health services and their loved ones. Mental health nurses deal with patients who suffer from psychological and emotional issues. As a result, the job demands special traits like resilience in order to carry out tasks and function in the workplace.
What are the duties and responsibilities of a Mental Health Nurse?
The usual tasks of a mental health nurse include:
Assessment and diagnosis: As a mental health nurse, you interview patients, review their medical records, and take notes as you do so. When you talk about a patient’s condition, you assist them in figuring out their issues and finding the best solutions.
Developing relationships with patients: In order to foster trust, you as a mental health nurse should encourage direct and honest communication with your patients. To interpret patients’ wants and comprehend their issues, you must have strong listening and communication skills. Building trust through communication with patients promotes healing.
As a mental health nurse, you make sure patients follow their treatment program in order to ensure proper medication administration. In other words, you keep an eye on their drug intake and make sure they go to the psychiatrist’s office on time. You also oversee the treatment’s progression and administer injections. Since some patients with mental health issues resist taking their medications, supervision is a key component of your job.
What are the skills and capabilities of a mental health Nurse?
Below are some of the skills and capabilities that a mental health nurse should possess:
A compassionate nature: A mental health nurse must have empathy for their patients’ conditions. You should comprehend the emotional and psychological turbulence they are going through and find solutions by putting yourself in their situation. Being compassionate and tolerant with demanding clients is made easier by having a caring disposition because you are aware of their circumstances.
As a mental health nurse, you must be able to make prompt choices under pressure. For instance, you choose the most effective de-escalation methods to assist a patient in a crisis. Determine the type and amount of the drug as soon as possible to ease discomfort if the patient also needs medication to assist them calm down.
Social awareness: When working with patients, you will encounter people from many cultural backgrounds. In order to comprehend why individuals, behave in a certain way to certain circumstances, you must be sensitive and culturally aware.
Complex problem-solving skills: A mental health nurse must be able to handle challenging situations that call for diplomatic problem-solving methods. You can come up with solutions if you can think critically.
What are the qualifications required for a mental health nurse?
You can work in a mental health facility if you have an undergraduate nursing degree or are a registered nurse (RN). Once you’ve gained some experience, you can specialise by enrolling in a master’s or doctorate-level postgraduate course in mental health.
Enrolled nurses (EN) have the option of working in the mental health field and are qualified to enrol in advanced nursing programmes, the majority of which do not require previous nursing experience.
What are is the average salary of a mental health nurse in Australia?
In Australia, the average wage for a mental health nurse is $98,317 per year, or $50.42 per hour. Most experienced workers earn up to $119,535 per year, while entry-level positions start at $80,000.
Who is this role for?
A critical component of becoming a mental health nurse is empathy. You must be able to empathise with the patient’s concerns and grasp their feelings as well as being open and personable.
Like other nursing positions, working as a mental health nurse can be emotionally draining. One of the qualities required to do this profession successfully is resilience and strength of character.
What are the career pathways of a Mental Health Nurse?
If you are a mental health nurse, you can advance from registered nurse to psychiatrist or counsellor, giving you a clear professional path. You can work as a social worker or mental health consultant if you have a tonne of experience.
In your mental health nurse career, alternatively, you can choose a managerial role, such as managing a rehab facility. The field of mental health nursing also has bright career prospects, with job growth expected to reach 15.6% over the next five years.
Are you aspiring for a mental health nurse job? Our experts at MWT Global Academy will help you with all the information that you need.