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What is a mental health nurse and how to become one
A mental health nurse provides care and support to patients with mental health issues. They work in hospitals, clinics, and community health centers. Mental health nurses assess patients' needs, develop care plans, administer medications, and provide counseling and therapy. They work with psychiatrists and social workers to ensure that patients receive effective treatment. Mental health nurses also educate patients and their families about mental health issues, help them cope with emotional difficulties, and provide ongoing support.
What general advice would you give to a Mental Health Nurse?
Dr. Cynthia Aurentz DNP, MSN, RN, CNE
Assistant Professor, Clinical Coordinator, Website
Avg. Salary $106,812
Avg. Salary $59,228
Growth Rate 6%
Growth Rate 0.3%
American Indian and Alaska Native 0.44%
Asian 9.08%
Black or African American 12.19%
Hispanic or Latino 8.84%
Unknown 4.25%
White 65.21%
Genderfemale 83.09%
male 16.91%
Age - 43American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%
Asian 7.00%
Black or African American 14.00%
Hispanic or Latino 19.00%
White 57.00%
Genderfemale 47.00%
male 53.00%
Age - 43Stress level is very high
7.1 - high
Complexity Level is advanced
7 - challenging
Work Life balance is fair
6.4 - fair
What are the pros and cons of being a Mental Health Nurse?
Pros
Opportunities for career advancement and specialization
Opportunities for flexible scheduling
Competitive salary and benefits packages
Continuous learning and professional development opportunities
High demand for mental health nurses
Cons
Long shifts and working weekends/holidays
Burnout and compassion fatigue
High workload and time pressures
Limited resources and funding for mental health care
Risk of violence from patients
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Mental Health Nurse career paths
Key steps to become a mental health nurse
Explore mental health nurse education requirements
Start to develop specific mental health nurse skills
Skills 
Percentages Patients 22.37% Psychiatric Mental 9.67% PMHNP 6.32% Medication Management 5.56% CPR 4.94% Complete relevant mental health nurse training and internships
Accountants spend an average of 3-6 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New mental health nurses learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a mental health nurse based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real mental health nurse resumes.Research mental health nurse duties and responsibilities
- Interact with patients, coordinate and successfully manage therapeutic group activities with unit staffs under supervision of clinical instructor.
- Provide psychiatric evaluation, medication management and education for patients with serious and persistent mental illness and debilitating personality disorders.
- Provide transportation, medication management, daily ADL's, housekeeping, and feeding.
- Provide hourly room checks and ADL's according to care plan implement by the attending physician.
Prepare your mental health nurse resume
When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your mental health nurse resume.
You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a mental health nurse resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.
Choose From 10+ Customizable Mental Health Nurse Resume templates
Build a professional Mental Health Nurse resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Mental Health Nurse resume.
Apply for mental health nurse jobs
Now it's time to start searching for a mental health nurse job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:
- Browse job boards for relevant postings
- Consult your professional network
- Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
- Watch out for job scams
How Did You Land Your First Mental Health Nurse Job
Are you a Mental Health Nurse?
Share your story for a free salary report.
Average mental health nurse salary
The average Mental Health Nurse salary in the United States is $106,812 per year or $51 per hour. Mental health nurse salaries range between $62,000 and $182,000 per year.
What Am I Worth?
How do mental health nurses rate their job?
Mental Health Nurse reviews
The (working) clients will always be the best part of this job. There are certain individuals who you can feel want to learn more about their conditions and to adopt healthier thinking patterns or lifestyles.
The insane amount of paperwork, the insurance/agency politics, the high expectations, the low amount of support. Burnout is very concerning for a profession where people in the frontline are the ones trying to make a difference. Individuals who work in this field need to have an incentive to keep pushing. I’m sorry but a kind heart and good intentions are not enough to sustain this type of career.
Updated January 8, 2025
