Mental health nursing

Mental health nurses work with service users, their carers and their families in a range of settings and in teams with a variety of functions. Some nurses work in in-patient settings, aiding the recovery of people whose mental health problems require a period of hospital care.

Others work in forensic, day and residential services, and many belong to community mental health teams who work with people in their own homes or local communities. Mental health services are subject to the most comprehensive policy changes and levels of investment ever witnessed and for mental health nurses these are potentially exciting times.

Starting out

Newly qualified nurses will need to consolidate and extend their knowledge, skills and experience before they find a route into the role and setting that they aspire to. Some organisations now provide rotation schemes, which give newly qualified nurses a chance to explore a range of settings in mental health services. This approach often enhances employment prospects and may even aid them in the career pathway that takes them from staff nurse to consultant nurse.

Skills required

Mental health nurses need the ability to listen, respond and empathise with their patients. They need good observation and interpersonal skills to be able to understand service users’ issues and concerns. Emotional intelligence and the ability to help people find solutions will help, as will the capacity to remain calm.