Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing

Psychiatric and Mental Health nursing deals with the care of patients who have emotional and mental health concerns such as depression, anxiety, addiction, and mood disorders. Nurses care for individuals, families, groups, and communities through counseling, education, and, in some cases, medication to promote mental and emotional health.

Nurses may work in counseling centers, clinics, or hospitals, as well as doing home visits or working in long-term residential facilities. Patients often range in age from children through adolescence to adulthood. Nurses must be prepared to help the patients, as well as their families, since psychiatric and mental health is achieved through a nursing care plan implemented by a support team, which may include counselors and/or psychiatrists or psychologists. Psychiatric nurses should be especially sensitive to their patients’ emotional and mental needs since that is the root of the health concerns.