Psychiatric Mental Health Clinical Nurse Specialists (PMHCNS) must be emotionally stable in order to deal with their patient-base. They must also be caring and empathetic as well as detail-oriented and organized. Psychiatric Mental Health Clinical Nurse Specialists enjoy a rewarding career in the healthcare field.
What is a Psychiatric Mental Health Clinical Nurse Specialist?
A registered nurse with an advanced education is essentially what a Psychiatric Mental Health Clinical Nurse Specialist is. They will have more experience in stress, anxiety, depression, and grief. Not only do PMHCNS take care of patients on a daily basis but they also assume leadership roles within the working environment. They lead a team for the case management and program development. Oftentimes, a PMHCNS will specialize even further in such areas as substance abuse, mental health in children, and gerontology mental health.
The job role of a Psychiatric Mental Health Clinical Nurse Specialist is broad. They will assess the patient, diagnose the condition, develop a treatment plan, prescribe meds, and educate the family on how to care for the patient at home.
PMHCNS can work in hospitals, outpatient clinics, freelance, mental health facilities, and they can also do research and policy making.