Others will specialise in caring for patients with a certain type of illness – within a specialist unit for perinatal mental illness, eating disorders, or personality disorder, for instance. A nursing degree is not like any other degree. and then take a post-registration course in mental health nursing. 05:00 AM – 07:00 AM: Once I arrive back on my assigned unit, I take this time to carefully go over and make any necessary revisions to my charting to ensure that it’s valid and free from error. And to put it plainly, working as a psychiatric-mental health nurse can be both extremely challenging yet rewarding. A day in the life of a mental health nurse. You’ll need to be compassionate, non-judgemental and able to empathise with those experiencing mental distress. Depending on the staffing situation, my role may vary as the charge nurse, staff nurse, preceptor, or a breaker. In some services, nurses see patients with all different types of mental illness. 07:30 AM – 08:00 AM: Once breakfast is over and the patients’ needs are attended to, we give report to the incoming AM shift and discuss any significant behavioral changes or issues that we encountered during our shift. Mental health nursing jobs demand significant compassion and sensitivity, and you need great communication skills that can help patients deal with challenging conditions. 07:00 AM – 07:30 AM: At this time, we typically serve breakfast to our patients while providing grooming necessities for individuals who want to shower. Although performing an admission can be a tedious process, inpatient psychiatric admissions are unique in that it depends on the patient, when they arrive, and how cooperative they are. It is estimated that one in four people in the UK will experience a mental illness at some point in their lives. Some mental health nurses work in the community. Once I know where I am appointed to and what my role will be, I normally like to go to my assigned unit, perform medication count with the previous shift, and speak with the nurses as to how their shift went. It is estimated that one in four people in the UK will experience a mental illness at some point in their lives. What skills does a mental health nurse need? It is the only inpatient facility in Orange County that can treat patients younger than 12. If there are no pending admissions, however, I usually take this time to chart on my patients, which involves filling out nursing flowsheets, writing or updating care plans, auditing charts, and reassessing behavioral statuses. Being a mental health nurse is no nine-to-five job. Mental health nursing generally involves working as part of a multidisciplinary team including psychiatrists, psychologists and occupational and other therapists. He received his BSN degree from West Coast University North Hollywood in 2013 and recently completed his DNP degree from Loma Linda University in 2019. By doing this, it gives me an opportunity to not only meet my patients, but also form a rapport with them while discussing any concerns they may have. Since most patients admitted to our hospital are either held involuntarily on a 5150 hold for Danger to Self, Danger to Others, or Gravely Disabled, it is essential for us to know how each patient is responding to treatment as well as their behavioral presentation. Referred to as community psychiatric nurses, these individuals could be based in a GP practice, clinic, or form part of a child and adolescent mental health service (CAMHS). More senior roles tend to be at bands 6, 7 and 8. There are many reasons why you should consider a career as a mental health nurse. 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