Career Paths in Mental Health Nursing: Opportunities and Specializations

According to the American Psychiatric Nurses Association (APNA), every year, 57.8 million US adults experience some form of mental illness. While the statistic itself is staggering, it poses the question – how do we deal with this epidemic? The solution is obvious: we need more mental healthcare nurses.

With the rising demand for nursing practitioners who specialize in mental healthcare, there’s no question that pursuing a career in mental health nursing will virtually always have you in a job no matter which state you live in. So how to become a nurse in Kansas or another state – specifically, one who specializes in mental healthcare?

Stay with us as we take you through it. 

 

What Career Opportunities Do I Have as a Mental Health Nurse?

 

As a mental health nurse, you certainly won’t be lacking in job prospects. With the concerning state of the nation’s collective mental health at present, your professional skillset as a psychiatric practitioner is in high demand and is likely to continue to be in the future. 

 

Psychiatric mental health nurses (PMHNs) play an integral role in supporting the mental and emotional well-being of patients presenting with a wide range of mental illnesses, behavioral conditions, and cognitive disorders. Often situated within psychiatric clinics, public or private hospitals, or assisted living facilities, treating both inpatients and outpatients with psychiatric conditions, a PMHN’s role is multifaceted. 

 

As a PHMN, some of your duties and responsibilities will often include:

 

• Assessing, monitoring, and evaluating the mental condition of your patients. 
• Administering psychotropic medications such as antidepressants, antipsychotics, and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), to name a few. 
• Crisis intervention and management.
• Basic counseling services, in both one-on-one and group therapy capacities.
• Assisting patients with self-care activities.
• Liaising with other healthcare professionals where required. 
• Educating patients and their families about mental health, and how to manage their conditions. 

 

Needless to say, the role of a PMHN is both varied and demanding. It takes a great deal of resilience, emotional intelligence, and strength to perform such a challenging role, and as such, PMHN should be remunerated accordingly. The good news? Aspiring PMHNs will be pleased to know that the earning potential for this particular role is high. In the US, PHMNs can expect to earn approximately $135,000 annually, depending on which state they’re practicing in.

 

What Areas of Mental Health Nursing Can I Specialize In? 

 

So, what does a career as a PHMN look like? Specializing as a PHMN opens a variety of different doors. The best part? You won’t be boxed in or pigeonholed into one area of mental healthcare. Instead, you can choose to specialize further. Some of the areas of mental health nursing you can specialize in as a PHMN include:

 

• Child, adolescent, youth, and family counseling. 
• Substance abuse and addiction counseling.
• Eating disorder counseling and support.
• Forensic mental health nursing.
• Military and army veteran mental health nursing.
• Correctional mental health nursing.

 

Of course, to be able to focus on a certain area of mental health nursing, you’ll be required to complete further studies in your chosen specialty. A PMHN specializing in addiction counseling, for instance, will need to have a deep knowledge of different substances, as well as the elements of mental illness that can lead patients to substance addiction. A correctional mental health nurse, on the other hand, will need to have insight into the justice system, as well as be able to build rapport with their often incarcerated patients. Similarly, family or military PMHNs need to be well-versed in these specific areas of mental health counseling. 

 

What is the Reality of Being a Mental Health Nursing Practitioner? 

 

Being a psychiatric nurse can be grueling. As a result of being exposed to the traumatic details relayed to them by their patients, mental health nurses are prone to experiencing what is known as vicarious trauma. A recent study by the state of Idaho found that as many as up to 85% of “helping professionals” like PMHNs can experience these secondhand symptoms. 

 

For this reason, if you aspire to be a PMHN, you’ll need to learn to look after yourself, too. Develop self-care strategies. Maximize your downtime. Most important? Be sure to fill your cup with activities that help you relax and unwind outside of your working hours.