I really want to become a Mental Health/Psych Nurse!!!

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Hello everyone!

I need some help/suggestions.

Let me tell you my background...I graduated with a degree in Sociology with a plan of getting my Master's in Mental Health. Once I did some research on Mental Health/Psych Nursing, I was hooked and decided that's what kind of Nurse I wanted to become so I took this past year to do all my Pre-Reqs for Nursing School. I applied to some Nursing programs and did not get accepted for the Spring. I am now thinking of applying to Grad School and pursuing the Master's Degree in Mental Health. (and letting the Nursing Degree come later)

Can you guys elaborate on what it takes to become a Mental Health Nurse? Everywhere I seem to turn it says that you have to have your MSN and here's my problem that I am hoping you guys can help me with. Do you know of any programs out there that you can get your MSN with a speciality in Mental Health WITHOUT having your BSN first? Please tell me you do :lol2:

Thanks!

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I'm not sure what you've been reading, or who you've been talking to -- you would need an MSN to become a psych NP or psych CNS, but, to be a "regular" psych nurse, all you need is a basic nursing license and an interest in psych nursing.

There are plenty of "direct entry" MSN programs for people who are not nurses but have a BA/BS in another area. That would be one option for you if you're talking about wanting to become a psych NP or CNS. These programs are, basically, an accelerated BSN program plus an MSN program -- you spend a year or so doing a very intense, "quick 'n dirty" basic nursing education, and then complete the specialty/MSN portion of the program.

Have you browsed through the post-grad student forum here yet? Plenty of threads there about direct entry programs by people who are in them.

If you want to get a basic RN license and give nursing, and psych nursing specifically, a try before you commit to an expensive graduate program (which, frankly, is what I'd recommend), have you looked into "accelerated BSN" programs? These, again, are for people who already have a BA/BS in another subject, and consist of just the nursing content (didactic and clinical experience) of a traditional BSN program shoehorned into a shorter, v. intense and rigorous, time frame (most of them seem to be in the 12 to 18 months range). That would prepare you for RN licensure, and you could start working as an RN in psych, or any area you choose.

Many, many of us (inc. me) have started nursing school with the idea that they knew for sure what area they wanted to specialize in, only to find, by the time they finished rotating through all the specialty areas you're exposed to in school, that they were more interested in something else entirely. V. few people outside of nursing have any idea at all of the vast range of career paths and possibilities available within nursing until you've been in nursing for a while (at least in school). This is one of the reasons I'm not a big fan of direct entry programs -- I've known several people now (and I'm sure that the individuals I've encountered personally are not the only people in this situation ...) who got into nursing via that route, only to find out after they had invested a lot of blood, sweat, and tears (not to mention $$$$) into a graduate degree, that they didn't particularly like doing what the graduate degree had prepared them to do. (Graduate education in nursing, unlike "basic," pre-licensure nursing education, pretty much locks you into a particular role and career path -- you can't change specialties easily the way you can as a "regular," generalist RN). Now, they're stuck with a graduate degree (and the student loans to pay for it) and a career path that they don't want, and now they're trying to figure out what they do want to do in nursing, so they can figure out what additional degree they need in order to do that. It's not a happy place to be ...

But I realize that you didn't ask for my advice ... If you want to "get your feet wet" in psych nursing, any program that leads to licensure will do. If you want to become a psych NP or CNS, and bypass a traditional nursing program, what you are looking for is a "direct entry" MSN program that offers the psych specialty. Best wishes for your journey!

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Thank you, elkpark. I appreciate your advice! I have looked into Accelerated BSN's and I plan on applying to a few for next Fall. I heard those were even harder to get into than Regular ADN programs. I guess my confusion came from the RN and NP programs. You are not the only person that has advised me not to lock down the type of Nursing field I want to go into before I go through rotations in school! I will keep that in mind in deciding what type of program I decide on applying to. I have browsed through threads but I guess I started this thread to get some ideas on schools that allow me to get through school the quickest, with a speciality in Mental Health because I have already been in school for 5 years and don't want to feel like I'm spending the rest of my life in school and working at a job that I hate!

Thanks again for your great response and Happy New Year!

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I guess I started this thread to get some ideas on schools that allow me to get through school the quickest, with a speciality in Mental Health because I have already been in school for 5 years and don't want to feel like I'm spending the rest of my life in school and working at a job that I hate!

Thanks again for your great response and Happy New Year!

While different countries use different models of nursing education, the US educates and licenses all RNs as "generalists." In any nursing program preparing you for licensure, you will have classroom and clinical education in all the main areas of nursing practice, and the NCLEX-RN (nursing licensure exam) will test you on all areas of nursing. Once you are licensed, you can choose what area of nursing you want to specialize in (depending, of course, on job possibilities in your location at the time :)). Basic RN licensure will prepare you (and is all you need) to start working in psych nursing in a staff nurse role.

Whether you want to pursue graduate education in nursing is a whole 'nother question. (I would strongly encourage you to wait on that until you have some signficant experience in nursing, but there are different opinions on that issue).

Happy new year!

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Yep, I was hired right out of nursing school. I did ADN, a two-year program at a very affordable community college. Nursing school is hard though so make sure it is really what you want to do. We employ both RN and LPN positions (1-yr program, the pay is less than RN but they do almost everything we do). They usually look for experience so doing some volunteer work or a job in a psych facility while in school would really help! Also, my job offers tuition reimbursement so I can get my BSN or MSN while I work. Look into long term residential institutions (I work with adolescents and children) we always have counselor/teacher positions open - the pay sucks but it's a great way to get to know how things work and what position would be best for you. I like that I don't have to get too personal with kids and that they see me as being "on their side" rather than the doctors who they see as authority figures. Good luck, I hope you find what you are looking for!

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Hi, I'm a little new and have forgotten how to post a new thread, so I'm replying to this one in the hopes that I may get an answer. I'm currently in an ADN program and want to obtain my MSN in psych/mental health (I already possess a BS degree). My question is when I graduate, I plan on trying to obtain any nursing job as jobs are very scarce (I live in S. Cali) here. However, I'm scared employers will be put off by my long-term goal of obtaining an NP in psych. They may think I'm a wasted investment. But, I do want acute care experience. I think that's important as some mental pts may have physical issues. I will also try for MH jobs, but with the job market being what it is, I really want any nursing job when I graduate. Do you think my obtaining an MSN is a potential red flag to employers? Should I be vague and say it's not an NP position? Thanks sooo much! (BTW, how does one start a new thread??)

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SingingJane, an almost-done ADN student here, also with a BA in something else, went into nursing specifically to do psych nursing if I can get a job there...

I say turn your approach around when you're applying for jobs and describe what your interest in psych can add to a general med surg floor!

I've not met a med surg patient that couldn't benefit from my interest in how they're coping, how their family dynamics are affected by their illness, how they feel about that, what their mood is and how that is impacting their disease process, etc. Talk about that ability/interest to future employers! There's not enough mental health going on in med surg, in my opinion, and plenty of RNs who are more into the physical issues. Just because you do psych doesn't mean you can't do "physical" just as well. Sell them on your interest in focusing on BOTH and it may make you stand out from other applicants!

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