interested in pursuing Psychiatric Nursing

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I am an LPN who is interested in Psychiatric Nursing. The problem is I do not know know what classes i have to take and wether my Lpn helps me towards that goal. Can anyone please help me with info on what schools in Indianapolis offer this major. Any information related to this would be helpful.

Specializes in psych, addictions, hospice, education.

You don't need any special schooling in order to be a psych nurse in the USA. I live in Indiana and have worked with many LPNs in a free-standing psych hospital. Psychology courses would help you. I don't know that there is a psychiatric nursing major in an undergraduate degree. One thing I think might help you is to get some psych clinical experience. I wonder if you could take a psych clinical course? IUPUI has a nursing school with a BSN program. Maybe there's a branch of IVY Tech there too? Or how about just going to a psych hospital or general hospital with a psych unit, telling them of your interest, and seeing what they say?

There aren't any special, additional courses you need to take -- your LPN license is qualification enough, if a psych facility/unit is willing to hire you without experience (and many are). You may want to pick up a psychiatric nursing textbook and read through it.

If this is an area that seriously interests you, I would guess your best bet is to identify all the psych units (within general hospitals) and psych facilities within your area and start applying to them. Good luck!

Specializes in Family Nurse Practitioner.

I started in psych as a LPN. Good luck!

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