What do mental health nurses do?
Mental health nurses monitor the biological dimensions of mental illness through medication administration and through behavioural observations and interpretation in general. In line with current trends and reforms, mental health nurses protect patients' rights and support their families, carers and significant others.

There is a variety of sub-specialties in mental health nursing including: adolescent mental health, community-based rehabilitation (medium and longer-term), psycho-geriatric, and alcohol and drugs. Specialised programs may focus on particular illness groups; however, all mental health nurses work with a variety of patients who may suffer from different mental illnesses. These include: schizophrenia, bi-polar disorder, depression, eating disorders, personality problems and traumatic reactions, as well as patients with dual diagnoses such as physical illness and mental illness, and mental illness coupled with alcohol and drug-related problems.

What career opportunities are available to mental health nurses?
It is important to understand that mental health nursing does not occur at the "bedside" in that patients with mental illness are not, ordinarily, confined to bed. While the clinical field is exciting in its own right, like all specialties of nursing, mental health nurses can apply for promotional positions in various areas such as administration and management, teaching and research, and project-work within a variety of government departments including health.

How do I become a mental health nurse?
Mental health nursing is a postgraduate qualification as there is no direct entry to mental health nursing. Queensland is the only State in Australia that recognises endorsement in mental health nursing. The endorsement in mental health nursing both recognises and authorises mental health nursing practice at an advanced level.

After obtaining an undergraduate degree in nursing, nurses who would like to work in mental health are able to enter mental health services by applying to graduate transition programs provided by some metropolitan and regional hospitals. These programs are often articulated with select universities for accreditation of postgraduate subjects and offer preceptorship, educational preparation and clinical placements for new graduates. Some hospitals may even offer experienced registered nurses in general settings an opportunity to undertake these transition programs as a means of entering mental health nursing. At this time, Queensland Health is offering generous scholarships to registered nurses to undertake postgraduate study programs that lead to endorsement. For more information on postgraduate course availability in this area, click here to go to the further education section.

Where can I get more information on mental health nursing?
Any hospital or community health centre that has a mental health unit or service will be able to provide information on mental health nursing and the opportunities available in the organisation. Key people to contact would include nurse educators (who coordinate graduate programs) or nurse managers. Most universities can provide information on available courses and study preferences in the area, and the key people to contact would include their course coordinators. The Australian and New Zealand College of Mental Health Nurses Inc. (ANZCMHN Inc.), has a user-friendly web site that offers information on college activities that concern mental health nursing, and even a chat-group.

Second and third year undergraduate clinical placements in mental health nursing also offer an experiential means to see what mental health nursing entails, and once again, most staff can inform students about mental health nursing.