Mental health nurse : Job description

Mental health nurses work with children, adults and older people suffering from various mental health conditions.

The work involves helping people to recover from their illness or come to terms with it in order to maximise their life potential. Mental health nurses liaise with psychiatrists, psychologists, occupational therapists, GPs, social workers and other health professionals to plan and deliver care using a multidisciplinary patient-centred approach.

As a registered mental health nurse (RMN), you may work with patients in their own homes, in a community health care centre, a hospital outpatients department or specialist unit, or a secure residential unit.

Typical work activities

The role involves:

• caring for patients experiencing acute mental distress or who have an enduring mental illness;
• assessing and talking to patients about their problems and discussing the best way to plan and deliver their care;
• building relationships with patients to encourage trust, while listening to and interpreting their needs and concerns;
• ensuring the correct administration of medication, including injections, and monitoring the results of treatment;
• responding to distressed patients in a non-threatening manner and attempting to understand the source of distress;
• applying 'de-escalation' techniques to help people manage their emotions and behaviour;
• preparing and participating in group and/or one-to-one therapy sessions, both individually and with other health professionals;
• providing evidence-based individual therapy, such as cognitive behaviour therapy for depression and anxiety; 
• encouraging patients to take part in art, drama or occupational therapy where appropriate;
• organising social events aimed at developing patients' social skills;
• preparing and maintaining patient records;
• producing care plans and risk assessments for individual patients;
• ensuring that the legal requirements appropriate to a particular setting or group of patients are observed;
• working with patients' families and carers, helping to educate them and the patient about their mental health problems;
• promoting a 'recovery' based approach to care.

In the community, the role may also involve:

• coordinating the care of patients;
• liaising with patients, relatives and fellow professionals in the community treatment team and attending regular meetings to review and monitor patients' care plans;
• visiting patients in their home to monitor progress;
• assessing patients' behaviour and psychological needs;
• identifying whether and when patients are at risk of harming themselves or others.