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Psychiatric nurse vs mental health nurse

The differences between psychiatric nurses and mental health nurses can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a psychiatric nurse and a mental health nurse. Additionally, a mental health nurse has an average salary of $106,812, which is higher than the $64,922 average annual salary of a psychiatric nurse.

The top three skills for a psychiatric nurse include patients, mental illness and CPR. The most important skills for a mental health nurse are patients, psychiatric mental, and PMHNP.

Psychiatric nurse vs mental health nurse overview

Psychiatric NurseMental Health Nurse
Yearly salary$64,922$106,812
Hourly rate$31.21$51.35
Growth rate6%6%
Number of jobs608,05586,884
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 45%Bachelor's Degree, 43%
Average age4444
Years of experience22

What does a psychiatric nurse do?

A Psychiatric Nurses role is to supervise the medication and treatment of patients diagnosed with mental disabilities, illnesses, or distresses. They have an essential role in the administration of psychiatric treatment and care.

What does a mental health nurse do?

A mental health nurse is responsible for assisting with the diagnosis and treatment plans of patients with mental health complications. Mental health nurses handle high-quality nursing care under mental health professionals' supervision within a hospital or mental health institution. They support in performing therapeutic activities, administering medical examinations, and counseling patients to know more about their conditions. A mental health nurse also does administrative tasks as needed, such as organizing and updating patients' information on the database, processing treatment payments, and responding to the family's inquiries and concerns.

Psychiatric nurse vs mental health nurse salary

Psychiatric nurses and mental health nurses have different pay scales, as shown below.

Psychiatric NurseMental Health Nurse
Average salary$64,922$106,812
Salary rangeBetween $42,000 And $99,000Between $62,000 And $182,000
Highest paying CitySanta Rosa, CASan Francisco, CA
Highest paying stateRhode IslandCalifornia
Best paying companyHighland General HospitalCommunity Health Systems
Best paying industryHealth CareGovernment

Differences between psychiatric nurse and mental health nurse education

There are a few differences between a psychiatric nurse and a mental health nurse in terms of educational background:

Psychiatric NurseMental Health Nurse
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 45%Bachelor's Degree, 43%
Most common majorNursingNursing
Most common collegeDuke UniversityDuke University

Psychiatric nurse vs mental health nurse demographics

Here are the differences between psychiatric nurses' and mental health nurses' demographics:

Psychiatric NurseMental Health Nurse
Average age4444
Gender ratioMale, 18.1% Female, 81.9%Male, 16.9% Female, 83.1%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 11.7% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 9.5% Asian, 8.9% White, 65.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%Black or African American, 12.2% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 8.8% Asian, 9.1% White, 65.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage9%9%

Differences between psychiatric nurse and mental health nurse duties and responsibilities

Psychiatric nurse example responsibilities.

  • Organize and manage regular clinics involving external physicians, including ophthalmology, ENT, Med/Surg, orthopedics, and podiatry professionals.
  • Staff register nurse, acute medical rehabilitation unit.
  • Perform emergency triage differentiating psychiatric versus medical conditions.
  • Perform triage assessment, psychiatric evaluations, medication administration, psychotherapy and case management.
  • Provide comprehensive medical-psychiatric care to patients via assessment, planning, evaluation and supervision of therapeutic interactions.
  • Provide therapeutic communication and psychiatric rehabilitation with residents to assist with their recovery to return to the community.
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Mental health nurse example responsibilities.

  • Interact with patients, coordinate and successfully manage therapeutic group activities with unit staffs under supervision of clinical instructor.
  • Provide psychiatric evaluation, medication management and education for patients with serious and persistent mental illness and debilitating personality disorders.
  • Provide transportation, medication management, daily ADL's, housekeeping, and feeding.
  • Provide hourly room checks and ADL's according to care plan implement by the attending physician.
  • Initiate emergency resuscitative measures according to adult resuscitation protocols.
  • Perform case management for outpatient veterans that include psychiatric treatment.
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Psychiatric nurse vs mental health nurse skills

Common psychiatric nurse skills
  • Patients, 25%
  • Mental Illness, 11%
  • CPR, 7%
  • Therapeutic Interventions, 5%
  • Psychiatric Care, 4%
  • IV, 4%
Common mental health nurse skills
  • Patients, 22%
  • Psychiatric Mental, 10%
  • PMHNP, 6%
  • Medication Management, 6%
  • CPR, 5%
  • Crisis Intervention, 4%

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