Mental Health Nurse Job Description

Individuals with mental health problems have issues that range from depression to schizophrenia or various other mind-altering diseases. Mental health institutions employ a variety of professionals capable of working with and assisting mental health patients.  One of the professionals responsible for caring for mental health patients is a mental health nurse.

• Mental health nurses work closely with psychiatrists, social workers, psychologists and other mental health professionals in hospitals or mental health care centers to provide care for adults, children and elderly individuals suffering from various mental health issues.  They help patients with daily routines, such as administering medications, monitoring treatment plans and evaluating the effects these treatments have on patients’ mental health conditions.  A mental health nurse also meets with patients to discuss their personal problems and recommends the best way to handle them. Additionally, the nurses prepare and participate in group and individual patient sessions.


• In most cases, mental health nurses are involved in the social development of mental health patients. Mental health nurses assist patients with social development by planning and implementing social events and encouraging patients to participant in activities
  such as history, drama and art, to increase their social skills. 


• Becoming a mental health nurse requires a certain level of education and training.  Most facilities require job candidates to be either a registered nurse or graduate nurse.   Nurses must be flexible and have the ability to address patients’ needs at any time (24 hour availability).  Mental health facilities are  high stress environments; therefore, mental health nurses must be able to maintain required performance levels and handle the demands of their work environment.