Registered Nurse (Mental Health)
What the work is
Provides nursing care and services to people with mental health illness, disorder and dysfunction, and those experiencing emotional difficulties, distress and crisis in health, welfare and aged care facilities, correctional services and the community.
Would you enjoy the work?
These are the main tasks in the official description. Mark how each one sounds to you.
- Assesses and monitors the mental health status of people
- Develops and implements individualised care plans for people with mental health issues
- Administers medications and treatments as prescribed by health care professionals
- Provides emotional support to people and their families
- Assists people in developing coping skills and managing their mental health conditions
- Educates people and their families about mental health conditions and treatment options
- Evaluates the effectiveness of interventions and adjusts care plans accordingly
- Documents patient information and maintains accurate medical records
Try it
A simulation and a case study from this kind of work, set in a busy medical ward at a fictional regional hospital. They are fictional.
The kind of days you could have
Good days
- A patient who was frightened at breakfast goes home understanding their care
- You spot a small change early, speak up and the team acts on it
- A shift where the team backs each other and everyone gets a break
Hard days
- More patients need you at once than you can reach, and you have to prioritise
- A family is upset, and you are the person standing in front of them
- Night shifts, weekends and paperwork still waiting at the end of a long day
Written by Career Calling as a general guide. Real roles vary by employer and place.
Work a mission
Step into a simulated workplace in this field, with a brief from your manager.
Description and tasks: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Occupation Standard Classification for Australia, 2024, Version 1.0 (opens another site), occupation 265434, used under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence. The skill guide above is our plain English summary.