Nurses
Nursing is a diverse and rewarding profession that offers opportunities to support the health and well-being of individuals in various settings, with mental health nursing being a vital and impactful specialty.
Launch your career as a nurse
Nursing is a versatile profession that offers a wide range of career paths, each dedicated to improving the health and well-being of individuals and communities. From hospitals and clinics to schools and community centres, nurses play a vital role in various healthcare settings. Among the many specialties within nursing, mental health nursing stands out as a crucial field.
Mental health nurses focus on providing care and support to individuals with mental health conditions, employing therapeutic interventions to enhance both mental and physical health. This area of clinical practice not only improves patients’ quality of life but also offers a deeply rewarding and impactful career for those passionate about mental health.
What is a mental health nurse?
A mental health nurse is a nurse with further training in mental health care. By fulfilling various roles and functions, they provide necessary support and management strategies to people who are living with mental illness. This involves care, treatment, and therapeutic interventions that promote optimal mental and physical health. They may also work with people to prevent or reduce the risk of mental illness.
Mental health nurses provide support in accordance with the best available evidence, the recovery goals and needs of the consumer and community, and professional policies and standards. Care and intervention may be required during a crisis, transition periods, recovery, or preventative steps.
Depending on the setting, mental health nurses can work alongside a variety of other health professionals, such doctors, psychologists, social workers, dieticians, and pharmacists. Liaising and collaborating with other professionals can be an important part of a mental health nurse’s role, helping them to provide and coordinate comprehensive and holistic care to consumers and their families.
What types of nursing roles exist in Queensland?
There are several types of nurses and there is a wide array of fields a nurse may choose to work in. They can complete additional training to work in a specific role, such as a mental health registered nurse.
The Australian College of Mental Health Nurses indicates you first need an undergraduate degree in nursing (RN), and then you can commence postgraduate training to become a credentialled mental health nurse
The different types of nurses include:
Assistant Nurse (AN)
Assistant nurses perform duties such as helping qualified nurses deliver treatment to a patient, supporting patients with personal needs such as showering or eating, and providing cleans sheets and clothing. Assistant nurses are often studying to become an enrolled or registered nurse.
Enrolled Nursing (EN)
Enrolled nurses complete a two-year diploma of nursing. They work with a registered nurse to deliver care and support such as documenting observations and providing education.
Registered Nurse (RN)
Registered nurses complete a bachelor’s degree and are qualified to provide care and interventions that are part of a patient’s treatment plan. This may contribute to health promotion, disease and injury management, education, or recovery and rehabilitation.
Clinical Nurse (CN)
Clinical nurses are senior registered nurses. They typically have a postgraduate qualification in a specific area of nursing and are able to deal with complex health issues.
Become a Nurse in Queensland
What qualifications do I need?
To work in mental health care, a nurse must undertake specific training and acquire skills and experience relevant to the field. An enrolled nurse may complete an advanced diploma in mental health. A registered nurse may carry out postgraduate study in mental health nursing, such as a graduate certificate or a master’s degree. Nurses may take further steps to specialise in a particular area of mental health, such as drug and alcohol rehabilitation or eating disorder recovery.
A mental health nurse should also possess excellent interpersonal and communication skills, compassion and empathy, and a desire to provide non-judgemental, attentive support to people who need and deserve multifaceted treatment and care.
Settings where nurses may work
Mental health nurses work in a broad range of settings. Approximately 92% work in health care, while others work in areas such as public administration and safety. Mental health nurses may work with children, adolescents, or adults.
Some settings that mental health nurses may work in include:
- Mental health units in hospitals.
- Emergency wards.
- Drug and alcohol rehabilitation centres.
- Eating disorder clinics.
- Aged care homes.
- Community services.
- Private practice.
- Prisons and juvenile detention centres.
The daily life of a mental health nurse in Queensland
A nurse’s day is dynamic and diverse and is dependent on the people they are working with and the setting they are in. Mental health nurses are great at planning while also being flexible to changing needs. In a day, they may interact with a patient, their families, other members of the patient’s health team, or relevant people within the community while developing and delivering a care plan suitable for the patient’s specific mental health requirements and goals.
A mental health nurse’s day may involve a broad array of tasks and functions, such as:
- Identifying and understanding a patient’s specific mental and physical health needs and goals
- Observing and documenting a patient’s mental and physical health
- Administering medication
- Delivering treatment interventions
- Providing education to patients, their families, and the community
- Supervising and teaching other nursing staff and students
- Undertaking professional training and development.
Meet Emma
Clinical Nurse Consultant – Transcultural Workforce Development and Education.
“One of the most gratifying experiences is witnessing individuals make progress in their overall health journey, whether it’s overcoming challenges, developing coping skills, or experiencing moments of clarity and growth.
Being able to play a part in someone’s healing process and witnessing their resilience and strength is incredibly fulfilling.”
Common questions about mental health nursing
A mental health nurse may provide care and treatment to people with a variety of concerns and conditions, such as:
- Depression
- Bipolar disorder
- Anxiety
- Postnatal depression
- Substance abuse
- Eating disorders
- Self-harm
- Suicidal attempt, ideation, or risk
- Schizophrenia
- Psychosis
- Post-traumatic stress disorder
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder
A mental health nurse has a broad array of responsibilities, which are reliant on the setting they work in. These may include duties such as medication administration, patient education, counselling, assessments and observations, and advocating for patients’ rights.
A mental health care plan allows nurses to plan, document, and evaluate a patient’s treatment options, interventions, and target outcomes relevant to their diagnosis. It is based on a collaborative approach with other health professionals, the patient, their families, and other relevant parties.
A first-year registered nurse in Queensland Health currently may earn $3,030.30 per fortnight. After 7 years, a registered nurse may earn $4,068.50 per fortnight.
A full-time nurse works an average of 42 hours per week. This may be adjusted depending on personal choice, work setting, and job requirements. Shifts may be carried out throughout the day or night and are most often 8 or 12 hours long.
A large portion of nurses are aged between 45 and 54 years, with the current median age being 47 years.
Approximately 60% of mental health registered nurses work in capital cities. Mental health nurses are required in rural, remote, and metropolitan contexts, which may be through face-to-face service delivery and telehealth sessions.
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