High School

Psychiatric nurses must first become registered nurses. To prepare for this career, you should take high school mathematics and science courses, including biology, chemistry, and physics. Health courses will also be helpful. English and speech courses should not be neglected because you must be able to communicate well with patients. Nurses also use computers to maintain patient information, so taking a few basic computer science classes will be useful. 

Postsecondary Training

There are three basic kinds of training programs that you may choose from to become a registered nurse: associate's degree, diploma, and bachelor's degree. Deciding on which of the three training programs to choose should depend on your career goals. A bachelor's degree in nursing is required for most supervisory or administrative positions, for jobs in public health agencies, and for admission to graduate nursing programs. A master's degree is usually necessary to prepare for a nursing specialty or to teach. For some specialties, such as nursing research, a Ph.D. is essential.

Entry-level requirements to become a psychiatric nurse depend on the state, the institution, its size, whom it serves, and the availability of nurses in that specialty and geographical region. Usually nurses must have some nursing experience before entering the psychiatric nursing field. Some institutions may require certification as a psychiatric nurse. Psychiatric nurses who wish to advance their education may take graduate level courses and become clinical nurse specialists or nurse practitioners.

Other Education or Training

The American Psychiatric Nurses Association offers continuing education opportunities at its annual conference, via its Clinical Psychopharmacology Institute (where attendees receive targeted education on drug therapies), and through online courses on topics such as special skills for psychiatric mental health nurses and psychopharmacology. Contact the association for more information.

Certification or Licensing

Psychiatric nurses who are registered nurses who meet experience and education requirements can become certified by the American Nurses Credentialing Center. Advanced practice psychiatric nurses who have completed post-master's degree supervised clinical practice can become certified as specialists in adult or in child and adolescent psychiatric-mental health nursing. Certification is available through the American Nurses Credentialing Center.

All states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. territories require a license to practice nursing. To obtain a license, graduates of approved nursing schools must pass a national examination. Nurses may be licensed by more than one state. In some states, continuing education is a condition for license renewal. Different titles require different education and training levels.

Psychistric nurses typically obtain some experience (one to three years) as a staff nurse before entering this specialty.

Psychiatric nurses should like working in a fast-paced environment that requires lifelong learning. Research into human behavior and the brain is constantly resulting in new information and treatment methods regarding patient care, drug therapy, and treatments.

In many cases, psychiatric nurses are confronted with situations that may require them to act immediately, independently, and confidently, so they must have good decision-making skills. They must also be good team players and able to get along with people from all walks of life. They must work with patients and families as well as other medical, administrative, and institutional personnel.

Psychiatric nurses must be able to deal with people in a troubling time of their lives. They must be able to communicate with the families and friends of persons with mental problems who may find the illness difficult to understand. Nurses need to display patience, understanding, and composure during these emotional times.

Many facilities require nurses to work 10- to 12-hour shifts, which can be very exhausting. In addition, nurses are often on call.