There is a real and urgent need for nurses specializing in the care of people with mental health issues. One area that many nurses are pursuing today is mental health (psychiatric) nursing, which can be briefly defined as an area of nursing that employs theories of human behavior as its primary science and focus. Psychiatric nursing jobs generally appeal to a certain personality type and these individuals must have certain attributes to make them successful throughout their nursing careers.

To fully understand what a psychiatric nurse does it is important to understand how the specialty came about. It started in the early 1950′s because of information in a book written by a nurse detailing her experiences with schizophrenic patients. This book provided an insight into the skills, activities and roles necessary for someone working with people experiencing mental problems. Then, by 1953, nursing schools were mandated to provide their nursing students with some psychiatric training. The first actual trained psychiatric nurses came about in 1982 at McClean Hospital. The field of psychiatric nursing has expanded ever since and now includes the use of psychotropic drugs for the treatment of some forms of mental illness.

Today’s psychiatric nurse develops a strong personal relationship with the patients he or she serves. The nurse not only has clinical experience, but works as a patient/family advocate to collaborate other social, legal and ethical disciplines into a workable treatment plan for the patient. A mental health nurse must be compassionate and extremely sensitive to the patient’s social environment and to his or her financial situation. The nurse must also look closely at the needs of the family and work diligently to find a suitable balance between what the family wants and what the patient needs.

Mental health nurses work with individuals and their families along with community groups and look closely at the basic health needs, diagnoses and treatment plan for each assigned patient. They work diligently to help patients cope with his or her surroundings and monitor his or her care to prevent or delay further dysfunction. There is a great need for nurses who have the skills necessary to interact with persons experiencing mental disorders. Many psychiatric nursing jobs are readily available for these much needed and sought-after individuals.