---
title: "Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing: What You Need to Know"
url: "https://arizonacollege.edu/blog/psychiatric-mental-health-nursing-what-you-need-to-know/"
type: post
date_published: 2019-03-21
date_modified: 2025-12-11
schema:
  @type: Article
language: en-US
word_count: 673
reading_time: 4 min
canonical: "https://arizonacollege.edu/blog/psychiatric-mental-health-nursing-what-you-need-to-know/"
categories:
  - Nursing Careers
topic:
  - Nursing
---

# Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing: What You Need to Know

## What is a Psychiatric Nurse?

Psychiatric-mental health nursing is challenging, rewarding, and a great benefit
to the [18%](https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/mental-illness) of U.S.
adults diagnosed with a mental illness. Psychiatric nurses are vital in helping
to educate and care for these adult patients, as well as children and
adolescents with psychiatric problems. According to the
[CDC](https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/mental-health.htm), mental health
disorders are the primary diagnosis for 60 million physician office visits and 6
million emergency department visits annually.

![Male Nurse](https://arizonacollege.edu/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Male-Nurse.webp?w=1024)

A psychiatric nurse may work in clinical settings that include:

- General or psychiatric hospitals
- Private medical practitioner offices
- Home health care organizations
- Correctional facilities
- Community clinics
- Outpatient mental health organizations
- Schools serving individuals with emotional and mental health problems
- Long-term care facilities

Other common titles for a psychiatric nurse include psych nurse, psych RN,
mental health nurse, and psychiatric-mental health nurse.

### What do psychiatric nursing responsibilities include?

A psychiatric nurse cares for people of all ages who are undergoing treatment
for mental health issues. These may include self-harm, eating disorders,
addiction and substance abuse, anxiety and mood disorders, Alzheimer’s disease,
and other mental health illnesses. A psych nurse may work with patients with
either persistent psychiatric-mental health issues or episodic ones (such as
depression) that may come and go. They also care for those facing difficult life
experiences, such as a terminal illness or the death of a loved one.

Psychiatric nurses work closely with fellow registered nurses, psychiatrists,
psychiatric nurse practitioners, and other mental health specialists. They also
often interact with case managers, social workers, and psychologists. As a
valuable member of an interdisciplinary health services team, a psychiatric
mental health nurse may:

- Assess symptoms and history to help diagnose the patient
- Monitor mental health symptoms, behaviors, and needs
- Assist in developing and refining patient care plans
- Provide short- or long-term care to help patients live more fulfilling,
  productive lives
- Administer medications and observe responses or side effects
- Establish therapeutic relationships through leading group discussions with
  patients

In addition to providing direct patient care, a mental health nurse’s role
includes educating patients about self-care and providing information to them
and their families about mental health conditions, coping skills, and treatment
plans. One important part of this is ensuring families are ready to provide
proper home care for patients and bring in other resources should full-time care
be needed. Psychiatric nurses may also connect patients with appropriate
community and government support programs and services.

### How do I become a psychiatric nurse?

Before pursuing a psychiatric and mental health nursing career, you must first
attend nursing school and earn a degree from an
[accredited nursing program](https://www.arizonacollege.edu/nursing/nursing-program-information/)
. Then, to
[become a registered nurse](https://arizonacollege.edu/blog/how-to-become-a-registered-nurse/)
, you’ll need to pass the NCLEX-RN exam and meet your state’s nursing licensure
requirements. Today, many healthcare employers prefer to hire registered nurses
with at least a bachelor degree, and having a bachelor’s degree can help you
find higher-paying and more diverse nursing career opportunities.

After acquiring some nursing experience, many psych RNs pursue
[Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing certification](https://www.nursingworld.org/our-certifications/psychiatric-mental-health-nursing-certification/)
from the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). Having Psychiatric-Mental
Health Nursing certification can demonstrate your skills and commitment to the
mental health field. It can also help qualify you for salary increases and give
you an edge when applying to psychiatric nurse jobs.

### Prepare for a Mental Health Nursing Career

If you know that being a psych nurse is the right career for you, get started by
enrolling in the Arizona College nursing program.
[Request information](https://www.arizonacollege.edu/request-information/) now
to learn more about this 3-year Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree
program!

---

_Information in this blog post is accurate as of March 21, 2019._

**Categories:** Nursing Careers