Psychiatric Nursing career : Paths, Opportunities & Earnings

A nursing job in India entails working with people who are in desperate need of medical attention. Nursing is a common healthcare employment in India that works with several aspects of clinical care. Working as a mental health nurse is a rewarding and demanding career for anyone who wants to promote mental wellness. Mental health nurses utilise their talents to assist and support those suffering from mental illnesses or disorders.

To practise in India, mental health nurses must complete stringent educational and certification requirements. They may also acquire further employer-specific training. To know more about the career of a psychiatric nurse and how to pursue this field, candidates can continue reading the article.

Why choose Psychiatric Nursing?

• In India, around 150 million people require counselling for mental health issues. Despite this, only over 30 million people seek assistance.
• The optimal ratio of psychiatrists to the population is roughly 1:8000 to 10,000, but the country now has just about 3,500, or about one psychiatrist for every over 2 lakh people.
• There are 20,000 Clinical Psychologists needed, but only 1000 are available.
• The requirement for Psychiatric Social Workers is 35,000, but only 900 are available; for Psychiatric Nurses, the requirement is 30,000, but only 1500 are available.
• According to the National Crime Records Bureau, the whole mental health workforce consists of 7,000 clinical psychiatrists, psychologists, psychiatric social workers, and psychiatric nurses, but the actual need is over 55,000.

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Top Careers in Psychiatric Nursing 

Individuals who have completed psychiatric and mental health nursing courses have several job opportunities in India and abroad. This course study can lead to employment in medical institutes, hospitals, or as a personal psychologist.

• Psychiatric and Mental Health Nurses: These nurses provide support and assistance to those suffering from a variety of conditions, ranging from anxiety and depression to Alzheimer's and dementia, in order to keep patients from acquiring serious mental illnesses.
• Nurse Supervisor: A Nurse Supervisor attends to the needs of a patient and provides comprehensive care, from scheduling and assigning nurses and workers to ensure that their work schedules are adhered to.
• Psychologist: A Psychologist evaluates the needs of the patient and changes treatment and diagnosis to match those needs. They study the patient's behaviour patterns and tailor their treatment to their needs.
• Nurse educator: A nurse educator is a professor who teaches in both academic and medical settings. As needed, they are frequently involved in the conception and implementation of new curricular programmes and courses.
• Staff Nurse: A registered nurse who assists and provides quality care to company employees, as well as residents and patients in hospitals, is known as a Staff Nurse. They are usually in charge of patient assessment, monitoring, and aid during recovery.

Scope in Psychiatric Nursing

Hospitals: A mental health nurse's primary function is to care for patients with a psychiatric disorder, mental health problem, or behavioural issues. A psychiatrist nurse’s responsibility is similar to that of a psychiatrist which includes diagnoses, treatment of the patient and prescribing drugs and medicines. 

Private clinics: When working in private practice, they have the authority of their state boards of nursing to evaluate, diagnose, and treat their patients, including prescription medication. Psychiatric nurse practitioners who open their own private clinics contribute to the mental health professional shortage.

Rehabilitation centres: Personal care, activities of daily living, short- and long-term health, social and independence difficulties, emotional support, and educating the patient and family are all part of the responsibilities of rehabilitation psychiatric nurses.

Community Health Centre: The nurse continues to play an essential role in community-based care. They concentrate on the rehabilitation of long-term mentally ill people and offer individual support in daily life. They also offer assistance to the patient's families.

Military clinics: They help provide comprehensive mental health care for Soldiers, their families, and military retirees as Psychiatric/Behavioral Health Nurses. They also look after folks who are in emotional turmoil.

Average salary in Psychiatric Nursing 

The Psychiatrist nursing candidates can either work with psychologists or even become one after completing a separate psychology course degree, and they can subsequently work in institutions, hospitals, schools, private enterprises, investigative departments, and a variety of other settings. Based on their experience and academic qualifications, candidates will get good remuneration in this field. Candidates can check the table below to know more about the average annual salary of the job profiles in the healthcare industry.

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Top Recruiters in Psychiatric Nursing 

They can work as a staff nurse, nurse educator, medical researcher, doctor support and assistance, and even as a counsellor in a medical ward for patients with mental health issues. Many Indians even move abroad for advanced study after completing a bachelor's degree. Following the completion of a postgraduate degree, many people choose to stay and work as nurses or doctors, depending on their licence and further education. Candidates can find some of the top recruiters who employee Psychiatric Nursing candidates as follows.

• Ocala Regional Medical Center West Marion Community Hospital
• Apollo Hospital
• Fortis
• Lilavati Hospital & Research Centre
• Tata Memorial Centre
• LifeStance Health
• Cross Country Nurses
• Wellpath

Top Placement Colleges for Psychiatric Nursing

Following are the top placement colleges in the field of Psychiatric Nursing along with their highest package offered to the candidates during placement.

How to get a job in Psychiatric Nursing

This job may be a good option for you if you want to work in the healthcare field and help people with their mental health. You may learn how to become a mental health nurse, as well as their job description and typical compensation, by reading the following tips.

Get required education: A mental health nurse's education might take a variety of paths. Associate degrees, undergraduate degrees, postgraduate degrees, and doctorates are among the suggested degrees.

Training: Individuals generally obtain the training required to be successful as mental health nurses while pursuing their degrees. Practical laboratories are included in nursing programmes, allowing students to acquire hands-on experience while still in school. Some students may also be able to conduct on-site internships or job shadowing opportunities that will expose them to working in a hospital setting.

Polish skills: Mental health nurses benefit from a variety of professional abilities. These are communication skills, technical skills, observation skills, problem-solving, empathy, etc.

Apply to positions: After becoming trained and licenced, a nurse can begin looking for work in their chosen sector. To be an appealing employment applicant, mental health nurses must have a suitable skill set, some practical nursing experience, and recommendations from prior lecturers or employers.

Top Indian cities to get lucrative jobs after Psychiatric Nursing

The location and geographical conditions play a major role in the career of an individual. Candidates can check the following top Indian cities which can be lucrative for Psychiatric Nursing candidates.

Life after Psychiatric Nursing

Psychiatric nurses collaborate with a team of psychiatric doctors to give high-quality care to patients suffering from mental illnesses and disorders. They assist in the diagnosis and treatment of psychiatric illnesses such as depression, anxiety, and dementia. The salary of a Psychiatric nurse will vary depending on their level of education, geographic area, and quantity of experience.

Psychiatric nurses operate in a number of settings, including hospitals, nursing homes, private clinics, and mental health facilities. They typically collaborate with groups of other healthcare providers, such as doctors, therapists, and other nurses. They may encounter different patients every day if they work in an emergency care centre, but they may care for the same patients on a regular basis if they work in a clinic or private practice. Psychiatric nurses frequently develop connections with long-term patients and find their work-related interactions pleasant.

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