Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse – Career and Education Profile

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Psychiatric mental health nurses (sometimes called just psychiatric nurses) work with patients dealing with mental disease, disabilities, and other problems.

Job Responsibilities

As a psychiatric mental health nurse, your job will entail working with patients who are dealing with medical conditions such as depressing, schizophrenia, paranoia, psychosis, panic disorder, dementia, post-traumatic stress disorder, autism, obsessive-compulsive disorder, addiction, mental retardation, and other types of mental illness. As a nurse working with these patients, you could perform tasks such as counseling patients, tracking patient progress, working with doctors to develop a treatment plan, assisting patients with hygiene tasks, and administering medications. Your specific tasks will depend on the facility where you work. You could work with the same patients on a daily basis in a long-term care facility, for example, or you could treat patients in an outpatient care facility or even provide mental health screening services or education.

Salary and Career Options

The American Psychiatric Nurses Association reports that psychiatric mental health nurses make around $40,000 annually as registered nurses. You can make more money by becoming an advanced practice nurse in the field of mental health, and location is also a major factor when it comes to salary expectations. Additionally, you can chose to specialize in one area of mental health, such as geriatrics or a specific kind of mental disease.

Educational Requirements

You can start working as a psychiatric mental health nurse as an LPN, but as this education doesn’t allow for much specialization, many nurses interested in this field opt to become RNs through an LPN-to-RN or regular RN degree program, which allows you to earn an associate’s or bachelor’s degree. You can also consider earning a master’s degree in this field, and after you’ve gained experience as mental health nurse, you can apply for certifications in this field.

LPN to RN College Programs

With some additional schooling, a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) can become a registered nurse (RN), opening doors to more job opportunities and higher salaries. The following is a list of schools with the best online LPN to RN degree programs offered by accredited colleges. You can request information by clicking the college's logo.

LPN to RN (BSN)	Indiana State University—ISU’s LPN to BSN degree program is the only online LPN to RN training program in the United States. LPNs and LVNs who complete this program can earn their NLNAC-approved Bachelor of Science degree in nursing entirely online. Upon completion, graduates should meet all of the prerequisites for becoming an RN. Read an in-depth review of Indiana State University.
LPN to RN LPN to ADN LPN to BSN	The College Network—Earn your LPN to RN (ADN) degree completely online with no campus attendance and no wait list. Learn from the convenience of home at your own pace, and earn an NLNAC-accredited associate’s degree in less time and for less money than traditional campus programs. Read an in-depth review of The College Network.
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BS in Nursing RN to MSN MSN in Nurse Education MSN in Nurse Informatics MSN in Nurse Management	Walden University—Founded in 1970, Walden University is dedicated to providing education for a higher purpose. The Nursing School confers degrees at the bachelor’s and master’s level, which provides further study in health informatics, nursing education, and nursing leadership/management. Walden is one of the biggest providers of online master and doctorate programs with over a hundred degrees offered at each level.
RN to BSN MS in Nursing (MSN) MSN in Adult Health RN to MSN in Nurse Education Accelerated RN to MSN	South University—South University’s College of Nursing offers numerous degree programs for aspiring nurses. Those looking for a BSN degree can enter into the RN to BSN and complete it within 18 months. South also offers the following master’s degree-level programs: MS in Nursing (MSN), MSN in adult health nurse practitioning, MSN in nurse education, and an accelerated RN to MSN.
RN to BSN RN to MSN MSN in Nurse Administration MSN in Nurse Education	Kaplan University—Kaplan University’s RN to BSN and RN to MSN programs feature curriculums that provide registered nurses with the tools to graduate with BSN and MSN degrees. The MSNs in Nurse Administration or Nurse Education feature curriculums that teach methods in management and education in order to prepare students for leadership and educator positions with in the nursing field.