Careers in Mental Health <

What does a Mental Health Nurse do?

Mental health is a branch of nursing concerned with the prevention and treatment of mental disorders and their symptoms. The responsibilities of a mental health nurse vary in different mental health settings, where each area itself involves specialist skill. Some of the settings in which mental health nurses work include acute inpatient units, residential and non-residential programs, community-based teams, crisis intervention, emergency departments, the forensic system, training and education and the private sector.

Mental health nurses offer a range of clinical interventions aimed at promoting the individual’s wellbeing, aiding them in their recovery from illness and enhancing their capacity to participate in community life. Interventions commonly undertaken include mental health assessments, case management, ongoing monitoring of the client’s mental state, wellbeing and treatment needs; delivery of treatment, therapy, advocacy, rehabilitation and support services in collaboration with other service providers.

To deliver these interventions, mental health nurses use skills such as counselling, group work, family therapy, working with children and adolescents, working with post traumatic stress disorder, exploring mental health interventions for mothers and babies with regards to disorders such as postnatal depression; work conducted in the community; working closely with general practitioners and forensic psychiatry.

Mental health nursing is generally undertaken within a multidisciplinary framework that includes working in a team with psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, occupational therapists and others.

Employment opportunities for mental health nurses exist in both the public and private sector and across rural, regional and metropolitan areas. Specialist training in mental health nursing develops skills that are transferable to industry, schools, courts, local communities and hospitals. Career pathways for mental health nurses can include a wide range of specialist areas, such as Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Adult Mental Health Services, Aged Persons Mental Health Services, Forensic Services and others within a variety of fields, including clinical practice, education, research, clinical consultancy and management.

Specialist mental health gradaute nurse program - October 2006 (Program Management Circular)