RN - Registered Nurse - Mental Health - Job Details - Sentara Health (2024)

FAQs

What does a mental health nurse do? ›

Your role is to build effective relationships with people who use mental health services, and also with their relatives and carers. You might help one person to take their medication correctly while advising another about relevant therapies or social activities.

Extremely difficult. You may not feel it while you're working every day, but it's cumulative and surprise! You get PTSD, just like the patients. Rarely does any patient get admitted to a psych unit with small or just occurring problems.

Mental health nurses use psycho-therapeutic and ethical decision-making processes, as well as interpersonal interventions to care for and help consumers and their families recover. They work in a wide range of roles. They assess, coordinate, manage, treat, support, inform, teach and lead.

Makes nursing diagnosis of the medical and emotional status of patients and recommends treatment options. Consults with psychiatrists and other behavioral health staff in designing appropriate treatment plans for clients. Administers and notes reactions to psychotropic drugs and other medications.

Mental health nurses also provide support to individuals and families in crisis, helping them cope with difficult situations and providing resources and referrals to other services. They may also provide education and training to other people.

The nature and scope of mental health nursing involve providing care and support to individuals with mental health conditions and promoting their psychological well-being. Mental health nurses work with individuals, families, and communities to address mental health needs, prevent mental illness, and promote recovery.

By taking a person-centred approach, respecting patients' autonomy, protecting their confidentiality and privacy, advocating for their rights, and being culturally competent, mental health nurses can provide effective, compassionate care to their patients.

Nurses' expertise in conducting the MSEs has been described as a vital component of a person's treatment planning as it informs clinical decisions, nursing diagnosis, care planning, implementation, and evaluation of care (O'Brien et al., 2008). However, conducting an MSE can often be time-consuming.

The 6 Cs – care, compassion, courage, communication, commitment, competence - are a central part of 'Compassion in Practice', which was first established by NHS England Chief Nursing Officer, Jane Cummings, in December 2017.

As a mental health nurse, you are likely to work in a hospital that offers psychiatric services. In a hospital, you work in a psychiatric ward, outpatient unit or psychiatric intensive care unit, administering treatment and diagnosing patients.

Why do you want to be a mental health nurse interview question? ›

Those who are passionate about their jobs are often the most productive employees and this question sets out to determine whether you have the necessary drive and desire to be a mental health nurse. How to answer: Be positive and honest and state your reasons clearly. Talk about the emotional benefits of the job.

As a psychiatric nurse, you might work in many different settings, evaluating and supporting your patients' mental health needs and working with doctors to execute care plans. As a mental health nurse, you won't treat mental health conditions on your own.