What does it take to be a psych nurse?

JeromeG1234 · Feb 20, 2005

I think that a good first step would be to get a job as a psychiatric technician (psych tech) in a psychiatric hospital; this is psychiatry's equivalent to a nurse's aid, and the hospital would most likely provide whatever training you would need. You would then get to work closely with psychiatric nurses (you would be part of the nursing staff), and be better able to make a decision.

To answer your questions, NO, you do not need a master's degree to be a psychiatric nurse! A basic RN is all that you need and, in fact, LPN's can and do work in psychiatric hospitals as well. They can do all of the tasks that don't require the assessment skills of an RN; for example, they may pass medications and do vital signs, etc., but probably wouldn't be able to do admissions or discharges, which require a nursing assessment.

To answer your last question, there is no nursing program that allows you to ONLY train in psychiatry. You have to make it through nursing school as a whole, and as has been said in some other threads here, it is important to know that a psychiatric nurse is expected to know how to perform whatever nursing tasks come up with his or her patients (e.g., if your patient needed a catheter, you would be expected to know how to insert it).

Hope this helps!

Hey everyone! I have a few questions about going into psych nursing. As of now, I am not even in school yet, so I appreciate all advice. I have always been interested in psychology. I decided to try to volunteer at a psych hospital, and I had no luck at this. I then decided to take the smallest step to get a job in the psych hospitals, this way I could get an idea if this is something I want to go for. I know the first step is LPN, but I am not even sure if LPN's work in psych hospitals, do they? From the research I have done, I found that you need a masters to be a psych nurse, is this true? Also, are there any psych nursing programs? Or do I need to take the regular LPN, then LPN to RN? I really want to take small steps first to get a job in the psych hospitals first to make sure it is what I want to do before I get my masters. Any advice very much appreciated!! :)
Christina

xtina71 · Feb 20, 2005

Thank you so much, that really helps me out a lot! I also tried that approach (the psych tech), and every hospital I went to would not hire me because I have no previous experience. Its like I have to have a job to get a job!! Well I guess I will just keep trying while I attend school for LPN! Thanks!

CharlieRN · Feb 23, 2005

Tina, skip the LPN. It takes nearly as long to get an LPN education as an RN. Most LPN courses will not count toward a latter RN degree, so you just have to take it all over again. LPN's get paid less. Many hospital's, for example the one I work for, will not hire LPN's, or if they do they limit them to long term care units.

If you just want to work in psych seek education toward a masters in social work or a PhD in psychology.

ARNPsomeday · Feb 23, 2005

I knew I wanted to work in mental health and thought I wanted to be a pyschologist. Fortunately, Christina, after much back-and-forth, I was taken in as a volunteer at the county hospital's mental health center (beautiful facilities!) as a clerk. They placed me between an adult inpatient unit and the detox unit, controlling the buzzer to let folks in and out- or not. I also made copies and got forms together. Alas, no patient contact was allowed me, but they know what they are doing. I volunteered for one year nights while working days in a different field.

In time, I realized that the "psychologist thing" was not what I wanted, so I began to consider nursing, which was a childhood dream. That was three years ago. Now I'm halfway to earning an associate RN degree (about two years at community college).

If you keep trying, you may get in to find out if this is your calling.

:specs:

Good luck.

psych nurse edu · Feb 25, 2005

I teach psychiatric nursing in a community college (a 2 year Associates Degree) in Colorado. In Colorado in the Associates Degree programs (not in the Bachelors RN degree) at the end of one year you can test for your LPN and immediately continue on or work for a few years and then reenter the second year of the Community College AD program in what is called advance placement into the AD RN program.

MY experience in Colorado is that you can start working as a non-licensed mental health counselor or psychiatric technician with a Bachelors Degree in psychology or social work. There is also a Licensed Psychiatric Technician Program in Colorado also offered at Community Colleges and it is similar in responsibility and pay to an LPN. I absolutely disagree that if you want to work in the psychiatric field that you need to go the direction of a psychologist. You can absolutely go the RN route and work in a hospital based care and then if you want more autonomy or advanced practice you can go for your masters in nursing and become a psychiatric clinical nurse specalist or a psychiatric nurse practitioner. Best wishes.

Cheryl

CharlieRN · Feb 26, 2005

I stand corrected, my data re: LPN vrs RN ed. is out of date.

midnitelpn · Mar 3, 2005

i am a psych lpn (started in acute psych as a gpn 8yrs ago!) if you are near a VA, thats where i have been since graduating. if it is a larger VA, you could possibly start out in psych, get your feet wet, decide if you want to forward your education & they will assist paying for it! you will still need to know your basic nsg...and know it well.....as you probably already know, being metally ill, dosent exclude one from becoming physically ill. and being in the VA, if you dont like it, you can usually find another specialty to bid into. and they pay better than the outside world!!! i think as far as being a psych nurse goes....you either LOVE IT or HATE IT!!!! i guess nursing as a whole is like that!!!! good luck!!!! may the nursing gods bless you w/kind preceptors, who believe in YOU & what YOU do as a NURSE (not just the initials after your name) and be proud of what you are!!! you earned it!!!