As efforts to destigmatise mental health issues have been succeeding in the normalisation of seeking assistance for psychological issues, many people are now considering seeking a career in this sector of healthcare. Whether it’s due to a simple interest in the topic or a more personal calling due to yourself, friends or family close to you experiencing psychological distress, it’s a noble cause to throw your effort behind.
But for those invested in the sector who aren’t interested in becoming a therapist or psychiatrist, the question quickly becomes what other options are out there? Can I pursue nursing in this field? And when finding out that mental health nursing is most certainly a career option the follow-up query becomes, then what is a mental health nurse?
What Is A Mental Health Nurse?
Like many other nurses, a mental health nurse is a healthcare professional with a relevant nursing degree such as a Graduate Certificate in Mental Health Nursing that assists in the care of patients. However, in this case, said patients are dealing with psychological distress or mental illness symptoms rather than physical impairments (although there is crossover with traditional healthcare and nursing duties).
In general, nurses are in charge of general ‘caring’ tasks: keeping track of patients’ medications, watching for clinical observations (think heart rate monitors and such), assisting patients with basic tasks like showering and using the bathroom, supporting patients and helping them advocate for themselves and so on. Nursing is an incredibly complex job at times that requires a lot from those who dedicate themselves to it. For most patients, nurses are the face of their care, and they may only see a doctor or surgeon a few times during their medical treatment. They are, in some cases, seeing nurses daily if not even more frequently.
Mental health care nursing can involve all of these tasks, especially in a psychiatric ward situation. However, these nurses can work in a number of environments, including in their community. They can help people with mental illness manage their conditions in day-to-day ways, assist patients that have transitioned to out-patient care or provide support so patients never reach in-patient care to begin with.
Issues with Psychiatric Hospitals
Unfortunately, as much progress as we have made in caring for patients with psychological issues, much of the field is still haunted by the ghosts of older practices.
Some psychiatric hospitals, in particular, have a reputation for often worsening patients’ symptoms rather than relieving them. Ongoing stories of horrible and dehumanising treatment happening in such facilities are commonplace enough that many do not seek help in mental crises because of fear that they would be forcibly admitted to such an institution.
The issues are far-reaching, though as of September of 2023 in Victoria, Australia, the Mental Health and Wellbeing Act 2022 has gone into effect based in part on recommendations from the Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System which suggests that we are still moving towards better and better care for some of our most vulnerable patients at critical junctures in their conditions. Of course, only time will tell if these changes have affected real change in psychological treatment but its focus on the rights of said patients seems promising.
As much as mental health nurses have been not only complicit but an active part of this mistreatment in the past they also have a large part in its solution.
For the sake of both patients and healthcare workers, an issue that we need to be seeking solutions for is compassion fatigue. Simply calling for more empathy from our practitioners is not enough, but having a new surge in qualified nurses can help spread responsibilities in more sustainable ways (or at least reduce the cases of understaffing), not to mention assist in bringing a more modern understanding of these conditions to the mainstream.
Is it For You?
Nursing can be a challenging career. It is a distressing but known fact that medical professionals make up a disproportionate percentage of suicide cases. One study even suggested that, for men, nursing, in particular, had higher rates than the rest of the population. Our health care providers do an incredibly hard job, they deserve better care and support than what they are receiving right now, but they are also critical for the rest of our survival so while we work towards those solutions we still need them.
Mental health care in particular is exceedingly tricky, with less strictly observable data to be found on a patient and the added complications that come with patients who are experiencing a break from reality that makes it impossible for them to express their needs clearly.
But we need mental health nurses. The work they do can not only change lives but save them, and compassionate and well-educated nurses either entering the field now or making strides from their existing roles are at the forefront of this wave of change towards kindness that we are seeing in the treatment of mental health.
So if you think that this career is something you are interested in please pursue it. Even if you find that you aren’t able to, if you find you are ill-suited and only go as far as careful research into mental health care and its practices and flaws, please know that your care and time are deeply appreciated.
If you are researching this topic because you yourself are dealing with difficulties in your own mental health, know that there are people out there who care about you and are proud of you for doing your best to care for yourself. You are worth it.
If you or someone you love is in a crisis situation, you can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14
Chris Pritchard is a 23 year old freelance writer working in Melbourne, they write on a variety of topics and pursue work as a visual artist in their free time away from writing.
