How to transition to psych nursing?

[Nurse Beth, MSN]

To become a provider in a specialty you've always been interested in is a great goal. Kudos to you for balancing your son's needs with your career goals.

Your time away from the bedside is likely a non-issue for transitioning into psychiatric nursing. 

That's because the skills required in psych nursing are more about managing mental health, emotional stability, and psychotropic medications, rather than physical procedures. 

The biggest shift from acute care to psych nursing is likely in the patient interaction. In psych nursing, you'll spend more time with therapeutic communication, mental health assessments, and managing behavioral responses to medications.

You don't need a recent acute care job to demonstrate the ability to assess patients, communicate effectively, or understand nursing principles. Your clinical experience as a teacher (especially teaching labs and clinicals) shows that you've kept your skills fresh and have an understanding of patient care.
For your professional development, consider joining the American Psychiatric Nurses Association. Since you're interested in transitioning into psychiatric nursing before pursuing the PMHNP, consider starting with positions in psych settings like:

• Psychiatric hospitals
• Behavioral health units in general hospitals
• Residential treatment centers
• Outpatient mental health clinics

What matters most is your enthusiasm for the field, your nursing skills, and your willingness to learn and adapt to the unique aspects of psychiatric care. With your background in education and infusion nursing, you have a lot to offer—and pursuing a PRN or part-time role will give you the flexibility to ease back into bedside care in psych while continuing your education. You're in a great position to make the transition.

Best wishes,

Nurse Beth