“Nurses are the heart of healthcare.”
-Donna Wilk Cardillo
As the body needs the heart to survive, hospitals need nurses to make sure that everything functions correctly. Without nurses, doctors would have way too much to do and couldn't keep up with all the necessary tasks.
Nurses are the heroes of the healthcare system and they are constantly in demand which makes becoming a nurse a wise decision. For instance, nurses have a 100% employability rate in various UK cities such as London, Manchester, and Birmingham.
Also, since nursing is a varied discipline with so many aspects and subdisciplines, it's worth stating that there are different types of nursing degrees that can be studied at universities such as Adult Nursing, Child Nursing, Mental Health Nursing, and Dental Nursing.
Therefore, without further ado, let's take a look at how students in the United Kingdom can become qualified to work as Mental Health nurses.
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How Much Do Mental Health Nurses Earn in the UK?
It's worth mentioning that mental health nurses tend to make slightly more money than those who have specialised in adult or child nursing. Why's that? Specific training is required and the job is more mentally taxing.
Nonetheless, the salary of a mental health or psych nurse in the UK is based on the following factors:
- Past experience,
- The qualifications,
- The location,
- The type of job.
For example, mental health nurses with years of experience, and various relevant qualifications, who work in the London area, and who have accepted a specific type of job in psych nursing can earn much more than entry-level caregivers.
However, the average annual income of mental health nurses is anywhere between £25,655 and £45,839.
The highest salary for mental health nurses is available for university graduates who are well-experienced. For instance, nursing consultants in mental health can make more than £50,000 per year.
Getting into nursing is never for the money; nevertheless, a secure, satisfying, and rewarding job is promised to those who dare join mental health nursing!
What are the Job Responsibilities of Mental Health Nurses?
Also known as psychiatry nurses, mental health nurses are very busy individuals with not too much time to spare. Psych nurses may find employment at any of the following places:
- Private homes,
- Correctional facilities,
- Community mental health centres,
- Local or governmental mental health agencies,
- Private clinics,
- Nursing schools,
- Military clinics or hospitals.
Most psychiatry nurses find employment at mental health agencies or wards at local hospitals. Also, psych nurses with experience may have private clients that seek their help since they are dealing with substance abuse, learning or physical disabilities, or emotional disturbances.
Depending on where they have found employment, the work tasks of mental health nurses may vary. However, on average, most psych nurses have the following work responsibilities:
- Caring for patients with severe conditions,
- Building relationships and responding to the physical and emotional needs, while delivering effective care.
- Administering medications and treatments to each patient and monitoring the results and symptoms,
- Dealing with symptoms of mental illness,
- Reducing stressful situations and helping patients overcome potential challenges,
- Interacting with the families and the additional care staff of your patient to offer practical advice and information on the condition and progress of the person in question,
- Maintaining patient records,
- Creating care plans and risk assessments to show the patient's psychiatrist,
- Organising group therapy sessions and social events.
Psych nurses have their hands full and, at times, the duties of mental health nurses may be heavy; however, seeing their patients improve and make progress is extremely rewarding!
What Skills Do You Need to Work as a Mental Health Nurse?
Since working as a psych nurse is no joke, it's highly recommended that aspiring nurses hone specific skills before they start their careers; this will make the transition more smooth and make students more marketable for the best jobs available in the sector of psychiatry and nursing.
Therefore, without further delay, the following are the top three traits of the best mental health nursing students and workers:
- Empathy: without empathetic characteristics, it's impossible to work in mental health. Psych nurses need to put themselves in the shoes of their patients to provide them with the best care. Remember, mental health nurses, are treating a person's mind, personality, and emotions. Treat your patient as you would want to be treated!
- Critical Thinking: mental health nurses need to recognise from the beginning that they cannot employ the same techniques for ALL patients; every person is different and requires specific care. To think of how to treat each and every patient, psych nurses need to be critical thinkers.
- Reliability: co-workers and patients rely on mental health nurses for their consistency and reliability. Psych nurses are treating mentally ill persons; so, their attitude and demeanour must stay consistent and avoid any favouritism.
If students start to work on the previously mentioned skills from the beginning, they will experience a worthwhile career doing things that help people.
What are the Steps Required to Become a Mental Health Nurse in the UK?
In the UK, nursing programs from further education centres usually take anywhere from three to four years to complete. To become a mental health nurse, there are specific degrees offered to potential students at universities in major cities in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. Such as? The following are a few examples of unis that offer both undergraduate and postgraduate degree programs in mental health nursing:
- City University London,
- Swansea University,
- The University of Greenwich,
- The University of Southampton,
- Leeds Beckett University.
It's worth stating that the previously mentioned options are only a few of the many. Whatuni.com mentions 81 unis that offer more than 150 mental health nursing degrees in the UK.
The qualifications required to become a working mental health nurse start at a secondary school level. After amazing grades in various relevant GCSE and A-Level subjects have been earned, students apply for university degrees and complete their further education studies.
All aspiring mental health nurses must verify beforehand whether or not the course they wish to study is recognised and accredited by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC).
Nurses will learn the fundamentals of psych nursing through a further education program; however, it's greatly suggested to get some work experience at hospitals and clinics if you're not sure about the type of nursing you wish to study. By getting on-the-job experience through internships, mental health nurses can develop their specialities and discover whether or not they should continue studying to gain additional certifications.
Therefore, when you break it down, the following are the essential steps to becoming a mental health nurse:
- Get good grades in high school in multiple relevant GCSE and A-Level courses such as biology, English, and maths,
- Apply and attend a three to four year undergraduate BSc in mental health nursing,
- Get work experience or complete an apprenticeship to determine the area of mental health nursing you want to work in,
- Start applying for jobs.
If you follow all four of the previously mentioned tips in the correct order, you will successfully begin working as a mental health nurse in the United Kingdom!
Where Can I Find Mental Health Nursing Tutors?
If you're studying mental health nursing at uni or you need to review the basics of a certain discipline of psych nursing, we highly recommend hiring a private tutor. Mental health nursing instructors are fantastic for the following reasons:
- Tutors offer personalised learning sessions that are tailormade for each student,
- Professional nursing instructors help students prepare and study for their tests,
- Instructors provide many helpful suggestions and tips to their students that they wouldn't get elsewhere,
- Nursing tutors offer remedial help to working nurses.
If the previously mentioned reasons aren't enough to convince you to hire a mental health nurse, we don't know what will! But, where can UK citizens find mental health nurses near their place of residence? The answer is always Superprof! According to the site, there are currently more than 40 academic tutors in the United Kingdom that specialise in some sort of mental health nursing sector.
On Superprof, students can decide whether they want to learn via in-person or virtual lessons. Also, some additional advantages of taking remedial lessons with mental health tutors on Superprof are the easy-to-use lesson booking software, the fantastic tutor/student support staff, and the affordable prices for one-on-one tuition.
In conclusion, learning how to become a mental health nurse takes effort and requires patience since it won't happen overnight. However, with the right attitude and diligent attempts, a certification can be acquired to start working in the sector of mental health ASAP!
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