Mental health care is health care! That powerful truth has been echoing across the medical field for years. As the public grows more aware of its importance, especially since COVID, more Americans are recognizing their own struggles with mental illness and seeking support.1
Mental health nursing is a unique and essential part of the healthcare system. While all nurses support patients in vulnerable moments, mental health nurses provide crucial care for those navigating behavioral health challenges and crises. Mental health support is also very interesting because it bridges the gap between physical medicine and emotional support.
As awareness and understanding of mental health continue to grow, so does the need for skilled, compassionate professionals who can step up and make a difference.
If you’re passionate about helping others and want a career that makes an impact, mental health nursing might be the perfect fit. Let’s take a closer look at why this field is so rewarding and sorely needed.
1. You can help patients in their darkest moments
Mental health nursing is not just a profession—it’s a calling. It takes dedication, empathy and resilience. You’ll form close bonds with your team (often described as a brotherhood or sisterhood.) And the work you do will matter so much to each patient.
As a mental health nurse, you become a safety net for people facing conditions like anxiety, bipolar disorder, addiction, eating disorders, schizophrenia, post traumatic stress disorder, borderline personality disorder and depression. When someone is in the deep end of a mental illness, they often feel powerless and like there is no hope.
Mental health nurses work with patients in some of the most challenging moments of their lives, offering emotional support, behavioral stability and a sense of hope.
2. You can explore many different types of work
Choosing mental health as a focus in nursing opens many different doors.
In this field—like most areas of nursing—you'll have a diverse range of settings to work in. Mental health nurses are found in inpatient psychiatric units, community-based wellness clinics, private practices, veteran hospitals, state facilities, correctional institutions and more.
Or you could earn a Master of Science in Nursing with a Psychiatric Mental Nurse Practitioner Specialization and open your own practice. Other advanced practice registered nurses can also zoom in on mental health, such as a clinical nurse specialist specializing in mental health nursing. Both of these advanced practice roles involve prescriptive authority and the ability to diagnose and provide psychotherapeutic treatment.2
With all these opportunities, you can find your niche in a setting that aligns with your interests while also caring for this vulnerable patient population in various mental health facilities.
3. You’ll enter a growing field with job security
As mentioned earlier, awareness of mental health has increased across the general population. As more people recognize and prioritize their behavioral health, the demand for mental health services continues to rise.
This has led to an increased demand for skilled psychiatric nurses and mental health professionals. According to NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Health), 22.8% of U.S. adults experienced mental illness in 2021—that’s roughly one in five adults. Additionally, 16.5% of U.S. youth aged 6–17 experienced a mental health disorder in 2016.3
4. Choose the demographics or mental health issues you prefer
Mental health nurses can specialize in several areas, allowing you to tailor your career to your interests and strengths. Some common specializations include...
- Child and adolescent mental health
- Substance abuse and addiction treatment
- Geriatric mental health
- Trauma-informed care
- Forensic mental health
- and more!
These areas of psychiatric mental health care allow you to build deep expertise and contribute to more targeted treatment outcomes. The American Nurses Credentialing Center® offers the Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing Certification, which can help you advance your skills and stand out in the field.
5. Work with a diverse range of people in your patient population
Many types of nurses have to hurry between patients throughout their shift, which doesn't leave time for the kind of patient care they'd prefer to give. And while some psychiatric nurses will still deal with that—mental health nursing has more space in general to really talk with patients and build connection. It's part of their care.
As a mental health nurse, you’ll work with a special patient population from all walks of life. Your patients will come from a wide range of socioeconomic backgrounds, ethnicities, races, religions and sexual orientations—and often require care tailored to various mental health conditions.
You’ll provide care during times of crisis, recovery and long-term maintenance of behavioral health. Building trust and rapport is essential. These relationships help vulnerable individuals navigate their mental health journey across a variety of healthcare settings.
6. You'll develop emotional and mental resilience
As a mental health professional, you’ll often face emotionally charged situations. Patients in crisis, trauma or severe psychiatric distress may react in unpredictable ways. These moments call for calm, empathy and quick thinking.
Some patients may exhibit challenging behaviors tied to their mental health conditions. You may encounter individuals who are anxious, psychotic, manipulative, withdrawn, resistant—or all of the above in a single shift.
As a mental health provider, using de-escalation techniques and therapeutic communication skills to show empathy and respect are essential. At the end of the day, we are here to help our patients get better, so I try to meet them where they are at.
This means that I find common ground to address their concerns and incorporate what is important to them in their treatment plan.
Your experiences here will build skills that help you deepen your care (and these skills are nice to have in your non-working life as well.) If you'd like to become a more patient person who responds decisively to crisis, this is a great area to work in.
7. You'll help break down the stigma
Despite progress in mental health awareness, stigma still exists in many communities. Mental health nurses often serve as advocates and educators, helping to dismantle harmful stereotypes. By supporting patients and guiding families, you become part of the shift toward broader acceptance and understanding of behavioral health.
How to become a mental health nurse
To start your journey, you’ll need skills and training from a nursing program. At minimum, this means earning an associate’s degree in nursing (ADN), though nurses who wish to pursue advanced education in nursing will need to earn a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN). This was the first degree I obtained in nursing, but not the last.
Once you graduate from either program, you'll need to pass the NCLEX-RN® exam and become licensed as a registered nurse in your state.
Once you have your RN license in hand, you can start applying for jobs. One of the most common places to begin is at a hospital's psychiatric unit. These can be standalone psychiatric hospitals or dedicated units within larger general hospitals.
With experience in the field, you can apply for certifications.
Certifications in the area of mental health nursing have specific requirements beyond holding a current active RN license. A specific number of related work hours and/or continuing education hours may be required.
Many mental health nurses go on to become advanced practice providers. As a resident physician in psychiatry, I work with several nurses who are trained at the master's or doctorate level. These psychiatric mental health nurse practitioners (PMHNPs) manage their own panels of patients and are considered a type of advanced nurse practitioner.
The power of being mentally healthy
If you've ever struggled (or watched a loved one struggle) with mental illness, you know how frightening or debilitating it can be. The healthcare system desperately needs more professionals who can help people adapt, recover and thrive.
I hope this has helped you see just how meaningful a career in mental health nursing can be. It’s a deeply rewarding field that calls for empathy, patience, and dedication. If you have a passion for helping others, especially those in vulnerable moments, this path needs you.
As society is finally understanding that mental health care is health care, the role of the nurse has never been more important. Whether you are just starting your nursing journey or looking to change your nursing specialty, psychiatric nursing offers a fulfilling career with room to grow and make a difference.
For a look at some of the logistics and details in this role, check out Everything You Should Know About Psychiatric Nursing.
NCLEX-RN is a registered trademark of the National Council of State Boards of Nursing, Inc.
American Nurses Credentialing Center® is a registered trademark of American Nurses Credentialing Center
1The State of Mental Health in America, (2024) Mental Health America Report, https://mhanational.org/the-state-of-mental-health-in-america/
2In order to obtain licensure as a Clinical Nurse Specialist in Psychiatric Nursing one must have a minimum of a master’s in nursing with coursework and clinical experience that focuses on psychiatric/mental health nursing and pass the national certification examination for that chosen specialty. Each state has its own requirements for Clinical Nurse Specialist licensure. It is important to check the requirements to obtain licensure as a Clinical Nurse Specialist by contacting the appropriate board or agency in your state of residence”
3Mental Health By the Numbers, National Alliance on Mental Illness (April, 2023), https://www.nami.org/about-mental-illness/mental-health-by-the-numbers
