A psychiatric nurse is a health care professional that helps mentally ill patients. Psychiatric nurses are registered nurses (RNs) with additional specialized training. Below explains about psychiatric nursing and how to work within this field.
What Do Psychiatric Nurses Do?
Psychiatric nurses provide mental health care to patients in a variety of settings. For example, they work for nursing homes, psychiatric hospitals and mental health facilities. They work with both individuals and groups. They coordinate between administration, care givers, family members and other health care professionals. Similar to RNs, they work varying shifts and help to diagnose illnesses, provide treatment and maintain health care documentation. Specifically, they provide comprehensive assessments, manage a busy caseload and make recommendations for treatment and medication changes. However, unlike RNs, they may be required to physically restrain their patients and deal with mental health crises. Therefore, they must have excellent interpersonal, communication and organizational skills.
What are the Main Responsibilities of Psychiatric Nurses?
Psychiatric nurses are responsible to intervene, develop therapeutic relationships with patients and help them
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The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) and the National League for Nursing accredit psychiatric nursing programs. There are three levels of psychiatric nursing. First, licensed practical nurses dispense medication and collect mental health care data. Second, registered psychiatric nurses perform assessments, provide therapy and engage in counseling. Third, advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs), or psychiatric-mental health nurses, have a master’s degree that allows them to diagnose, consult and provide evaluations. They must be trained in psychotherapy and